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Supplement to the Corporate Value Chain (Scope 3)
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Scope 3 Emissions (version 1.0)
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This document was developed in partnership with the Carbon Trust.
GHG Protocol and Carbon Trust Team

Martin Barrow, Carbon Trust
Benedict Buckley, World Resources Institute
Tom Caldicott, Carbon Trust
Tom Cumberlege, Carbon Trust
John Hsu, Carbon Trust
Scott Kaufman, Carbon Trust
Kevin Ramm, Carbon Trust
David Rich, World Resources Institute
Will Temple-Smith, Carbon Trust
World Resources Institute Contributors

Cynthia Cummis, World Resources Institute
Laura Draucker, World Resources Institute
Sofia Khan, World Resources Institute
Janet Ranganathan, World Resources Institute
Mary Sotos, World Resources Institute
Copyright © World Resources Institute & World Business Council for Sustainable Development, 2013
Acknowledgments
The GHG Protocol is grateful to the following people and organizations

for providing written comments on an earlier draft of this document:
Gorm Kjærbøll, AB Electrolux

Katrina Destree Cochran, Alcatel-Lucent
Isabel Bodlak, Allianz SE
Arturo Cepeda, Artequim.com Ltd
George Vergoulas, Arup
Nicola Paczkowski, BASF SE
Will Schreiber, Best Food Forward
Ricardo Teixeira and Sara Pax, Bluehorse Associates
Marshall Chase, BSR Clean Cargo Working Group
Frances Way, Carbon Disclosure Project
Peggy Foran, The Climate Registry
Christopher Gleadle, The CMG Consultancy
Michael Van Brunt, Covanta Energy Corporation
Dr. Klaus Hufschlag and Patric Pütz, Deutsche Post DHL
Rob Rouse, The Dow Chemical Company
Dawn Rittenhouse, DuPont
Chris Brown and Bernhard Grünauer, E.ON AG
Corinne Reich-Weiser, Enviance
Daniel Hall, ForestEthics
Concepción Jiménez-González, GlaxoSmithKline
Thaddeus Owen, Herman Miller
Don Adams, Keystone Foods
Dr. John Andrews, Landcare Research
Maria Atkinson, Lend Lease Sustainability Solutions
Jordi Avelleneda and Mads Stensen, Maersk Line and Damco
David B. Goldstein, Natural Resources Defense Council
Johannes Partl and Duncan Noble, PE International and Five Winds International
Jorge Alberto Plauchu Alcantara, Plauchu Consultores
Nick Shufro, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
William Lau, SGS-CSTC Standards Technical Services Co., Ltd
Zoltán Hajdu, Soltub Ltd.
Erika Kloow, TetraPak
Yoshikazu Kato, The Japanese Gas Association
Yutaka Yoshida, Tokyo Gas Co., Ltd.
Alice Douglas, UK Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)
Matt Clouse, John Sottong, and Jesse Miller, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Bryan Steverson, U.S. General Services Administration
Keith James, Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP)
Nisitha Dasanayake
Technical Guidance for Calculating Scope 3 Emissions [03]

Table of Contents
Introduction 05
CATEGORIES
1: Purchased Goods and Services 20
2: Capital Goods 36
3: Fuel- and Energy-Related Activities Not Included in Scope 1 or Scope 2 38
4: Upstream Transportation and Distribution 49
5: Waste Generated in Operations 72
6: Business Travel 81
7: Employee Commuting 87
8: Upstream Leased Assets 94
9: Downstream Transportation and Distribution 102
10: Processing of Sold Products 106
11: Use of Sold Products 113
12: End-of-Life Treatment of Sold Products 125
13: Downstream Leased Assets 128
14: Franchises 130
15: Investments 136
APPENDICES
A: Sampling 153
B: Scenario uncertainty in calculating emissions from the use of sold products 158
C: Calculating emissions intensity metrics 160
D: Calculation formula summary tables 162

Introduction
A
n effective corporate climate change strategy requires a detailed under-
standing of a company’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Until recently,
companies have focused on emissions from their own operations under
scope 1 and scope 2 of the GHG Protocol. Increasingly companies understand the
need to also account for GHG emissions along their value chains and product
portfolios to comprehensively manage GHG-related risks and opportunities.

The GHG Protocol Corporate Value Chain (Scope 3) Accounting and Reporting
Standard (referred to as the Scope 3 Standard), the parent document to this
guidance, offers an internationally accepted method to enable GHG management
of companies’ value chains. This guidance document serves as a companion to
the Scope 3 Standard to offer companies practical guidance on calculating their
scope 3 emissions. It provides information not contained in the Scope 3 Standard,
such as methods for calculating GHG emissions for each of the 15 scope 3 categories,
data sources, and worked examples.
Please refer to the Scope 3 Standard for requirements and guidance related to
scope 3 accounting and reporting.

Introduction
Descriptions of scope 3 categories

Figure I shows the 15 distinct reporting categories in scope 3 and also shows how scope 3 relates to scope 1 (direct
emissions from owned or controlled sources) and scope 2 (indirect emissions from the generation of purchased
purchased electricity, steam, heating and cooling consumed by the reporting company). Scope 3 includes all other
indirect emissions that occur in a company’s value chain. The 15 categories in scope 3 are intended to provide
companies with a systematic framework to measure, manage, and reduce emissions across a corporate value chain.
The categories are designed to be mutually exclusive to avoid a company double counting emissions among categories.
Table I gives descriptions of each of the 15 categories. The Scope 3 Standard requires companies to quantify and report
scope 3 emissions from each category.
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Introduction
Table [I] Description and boundaries of scope 3 categories
Upstream scope 3 emissions

Category Category description Minimum boundary
1. P
urchased goods
• Extraction, production, and • All upstream (cradle-to-gate) emissions
and services
transportation of goods and services of purchased goods and services
purchased or acquired by the reporting
company in the reporting year, not
otherwise included in Categories 2 - 8
2. Capital goods
• Extraction, production, and transport- • All upstream (cradle-to-gate) emissions
ation of capital goods purchased or of purchased capital goods
acquired by the reporting company in
the reporting year
3. F
uel- and energy-
• Extraction, production, and
related activities
transportation of fuels and energy
(not included in
purchased or acquired by the
scope 1 or scope 2)
reporting company in the reporting
year, not already accounted for in
scope 1 or scope 2, including:
a. Upstream emissions of purchased a. For upstream emissions of

fuels (extraction, production, and purchased fuels: All upstream
transportation of fuels consumed (cradle-to-gate) emissions of
by the reporting company) purchased fuels (from raw material
extraction up to the point of, but
b. Upstream emissions of purchased
excluding combustion)
electricity (extraction, production,
and transportation of fuels b. For upstream emissions of
consumed in the generation of purchased electricity: All upstream
electricity, steam, heating, and (cradle-to-gate) emissions of
cooling consumed by the reporting purchased fuels (from raw material
company) extraction up to the point of, but
excluding, combustion by a power
c. Transmission and distribution (T&D)
generator)
losses (generation of electricity,
steam, heating and cooling that c. For T&D losses: All upstream
is consumed (i.e., lost) in a T&D (cradle-to-gate) emissions of
system) – reported by end user energy consumed in a T&D
system, including emissions from
d. Generation of purchased electricity
combustion
that is sold to end users (generation
of electricity, steam, heating, and
cooling that is purchased by the d. For generation of purchased
reporting company and sold to end electricity that is sold to end users:
users) – reported by utility company Emissions from the generation of
or energy retailer only purchased energy

Introduction
Table [I] Description and boundaries of scope 3 categories (continued)
Upstream scope 3 emissions
4. U
pstream
• Transportation and distribution of • The scope 1 and scope 2 emissions
transportation
products purchased by the reporting of transportation and distribution
and distribution
company in the reporting year between providers that occur during use of
a company’s tier 1 suppliers and its own vehicles and facilities (e.g., from
operations (in vehicles and facilities not energy use)
owned or controlled by the reporting • Optional: The life cycle emissions
company) associated with manufacturing
• Transportation and distribution services vehicles, facilities, or infrastructure
purchased by the reporting company in
the reporting year, including inbound
logistics, outbound logistics (e.g., of
sold products), and transportation and
distribution between a company’s own
facilities (in vehicles and facilities not
owned or controlled by the reporting
company)
5. W
aste generated
• Disposal and treatment of waste • The scope 1 and scope 2 emissions
in operations
generated in the reporting company’s of waste management suppliers that
operations in the reporting year (in occur during disposal or treatment
facilities not owned or controlled by the • Optional: Emissions from
reporting company) transportation of waste
6. Business travel
• Transportation of employees for • The scope 1 and scope 2 emissions
business-related activities during of transportation carriers that occur
the reporting year (in vehicles during use of vehicles (e.g., from
not owned or operated by the energy use)
reporting company) • Optional: The life cycle emissions
associated with manufacturing vehicles
or infrastructure
7. E
mployee
• Transportation of employees between • The scope 1 and scope 2 emissions
commuting
their homes and their worksites during of employees and transportation
the reporting year (in vehicles not providers that occur during use of
owned or operated by the reporting vehicles (e.g., from energy use)
company) • Optional: Emissions from employee
teleworking
8. U
pstream
• Operation of assets leased by the • The scope 1 and scope 2 emissions of
leased assets
reporting company (lessee) in the lessors that occur during the reporting
reporting year and not included company’s operation of leased assets
in scope 1 and scope 2 – reported (e.g., from energy use)
by lessee • Optional: The life cycle emissions
associated with manufacturing or
constructing leased assets

Introduction
Downstream scope 3 emissions
9. D
ownstream
• Transportation and distribution • The scope 1 and scope 2 emissions of
transportation
of products sold by the reporting transportation providers, distributors,
and distribution
company in the reporting year and retailers that occur during use
between the reporting company’s of vehicles and facilities (e.g., from
operations and the end consumer (if energy use)
not paid for by the reporting company), • Optional: The life cycle emissions
including retail and storage (in vehicles associated with manufacturing
and facilities vehicles, facilities, or infrastructure
not owned or controlled by the
reporting company)
10. P
rocessing of
• Processing of intermediate products • The scope 1 and scope 2 emissions
sold products
sold in the reporting year by of downstream companies that
downstream companies occur during processing
(e.g., manufacturers) (e.g., from energy use)
11. U
se of
• End use of goods and services sold • The direct use-phase emissions of sold
sold products
by the reporting company in the products over their expected lifetime
reporting year (i.e., the scope 1 and scope 2 emissions
of end users that occur from the use
of: products that directly consume
energy (fuels or electricity) during use;
fuels and feedstocks; and GHGs and
products that contain or form GHGs
that are emitted during use)
• Optional: The indirect use-phase
emissions of sold products over their
expected lifetime (i.e., emissions from
the use of products that indirectly
consume energy (fuels or electricity)
during use)
12. E
nd-of-life
• Waste disposal and treatment of • The scope 1 and scope 2 emissions of
treatment of
products sold by the reporting waste management companies that
sold products
company (in the reporting year) at the occur during disposal or treatment of
end of their life sold products
13. D
ownstream
• Operation of assets owned by the • The scope 1 and scope 2 emissions of
leased assets
reporting company (lessor) and leased lessees that occur during operation of
to other entities in the reporting year, leased assets (e.g., from energy use).
not included in scope 1 and scope 2 – • Optional: The life cycle emissions
reported by lessor associated with manufacturing or
constructing leased assets

Introduction
Downstream scope 3 emissions
14. Franchises
• Operation of franchises in the reporting • The scope 1 and scope 2 emissions
year, not included in scope 1 and scope of franchisees that occur during
2 – reported by franchisor operation of franchises (e.g., from
energy use)
• Optional: The life cycle emissions
associated with manufacturing or
constructing franchises
15. Investments
• Operation of investments (including • See the description of category 15
equity and debt investments and (Investments) in section 5.5 for the
project finance) in the reporting year, required and optional boundaries
not included in scope 1 or scope 2
Source: Table 5.4 from the Scope 3 Standard
How to use this document

The 15 sections in this document correspond to the 15 scope 3 categories in table II. Each section follows the structure below:
•• Category description (from chapter 5 of the Scope 3 Standard)

•• Summary of calculation methods (and decision tree if applicable)
•• For each calculation method:
•• Activity data needed
•• Emission factors needed
•• Data collection guidance
•• Calculation formula
•• Example(s)
The Scope 3 Standard contains a lot of important information that is not repeated in this calculation guidance document,
including business goals for conducting a scope 3 assessment; accounting and reporting principles; setting the scope
3 boundary; setting reduction targets; and reporting. This document should be used in conjunction with the Scope 3
Standard when calculating emissions. The following Scope 3 Standard chapters contain information that is especially
relevant to performing various emissions calculations:
•• Chapter 4, which defines the accounting and reporting principles (relevance, completeness, consistency,
transparency, accuracy)
•• Chapter 5, which defines each of the 15 scope 3 categories and provides detailed descriptions of which activities are
included in each scope 3 category
•• Chapter 6, which provides guidance on setting the scope 3 boundary
•• Chapter 7, which provides guidance on collecting data, including prioritizing data collection efforts, selecting among
different types of data, and ensuring data quality
•• Chapter 8, which provides guidance on allocating emissions
•• Chapter 10, which describes assurance procedures
•• Chapter 11, which defines scope 3 reporting requirements
•• Appendix B, which describes uncertainty in scope 3 inventories
•• Appendix C, which describes how to create a data management plan

Introduction
Selecting calculation methods

For most scope 3 categories, this document offers multiple calculation methods. Within each section, the calculation
methods are ranked in order of specificity,1 from most to least specific to a company’s actual activities. In general, more
specific methods yield higher quality scope 3 emissions data whereas less specific methods yield lower quality scope
3 emissions data. However, the more specific methods are often more time and labor intensive. The best method for
each category depends on factors described below.
Companies should select calculation methods for each scope 3 activity within a category based on the following criteria:
•• The relative size of the emissions from the scope 3 activity

•• The company’s business goals (see chapter 2 of the Scope 3 Standard)
•• Data availability
•• Data quality
•• The cost and effort required to apply each method
•• Other criteria identified by the company.
Companies should select calculation methods that ensure that the inventory appropriately reflects the GHG emissions
of the activities and serves the decision-making needs of users, both internal and external to the company.
Note that each scope 3 category may contain multiple activities (for example air travel and road travel could be
two different activities within category 6, Business travel). If appropriate, different calculation methods can be
used to calculate emissions from different activities within a category. This guide uses the term “should” to indicate
recommendations for calculations.
Companies are required to report a description of the methodologies used to calculate emissions for each scope 3
category (see chapter 9 of the Scope 3 Standard).
Screening to prioritize data collection

The Scope 3 Standard recommends that companies identify which scope 3 activities are expected to have the most
significant GHG emissions, offer the most significant GHG reduction opportunities, and are most relevant to the
company’s business goals. Companies should begin by conducting a screening process, using less specific data, to
determine the size of GHG emissions in each of the 15 categories. Then each category can be examined to determine
whether to further refine its emission estimates.
This document offers guidance on how to decide which categories require a more precise, and often more labor-intensive,
method of data collection, and which might be adequately served by a less precise method. In most cases, the categories
that generate the largest amount of emissions should receive the most precise data collection treatment, however,
some smaller categories that are important to customers or employees may benefit from more precise treatment as
well. Categories most relevant to the company’s business goals may also receive more attention. The business goals most
frequently cited by companies as reasons for developing a scope 3 inventory were to: (1) identify and understand the risks
and opportunities associated with value chain emissions; (2) identify GHG reduction opportunities, set reduction targets,
and track performance; and (3) engage value chain partners in GHG management. See chapter 2 of the Scope 3 Standard.
1 If a calculation method is specific to a company’s activity, the calculation is based on data relating directly to the particular activity in
question, such as data collected from a transport provider relating to journeys carried out. In contrast, less specific methods use data that
does not directly relate to the activity, such as industry average emission factors.

Introduction
Collecting higher quality data for priority activities allows companies to focus resources on the most significant GHG
emissions in the value chain, more effectively set reduction targets, and track and demonstrate GHG reductions over time.
As a result of the screening, a company might decide that, in addition to using more precise data for activities with the
most emissions, it will seek higher quality data for activities that present the most significant risks and opportunities in
the value chain, and for activities where more accurate data can be easily obtained. Conversely, it may choose to rely
on relatively less accurate data for activities that are expected to have insignificant emissions or where accurate data is
difficult to obtain.
To start the screening, a company can apply the criteria in table II to each of the 15 categories to find out where the
bulk of its scope 3 GHG emissions occur. Note that to facilitate the initial screening, companies can use the less specific
calculation methods listed for each category (i.e., the methods at the bottom of the decision trees). See section 7.1 of
the Scope 3 Standard for more guidance on prioritizing data collection efforts. More specific methods can be applied
later to priority categories.
Table [II] Criteria for identifying relevant scope 3 activities
Criteria Description of activities
Size They contribute significantly to the company’s total anticipated scope 3 emissions
Influence There are potential emissions reductions that could be undertaken or influenced
by the company
Risk They contribute to the company’s risk exposure (e.g., climate change related risks such
as financial, regulatory, supply chain, product and technology, compliance/litigation, and
reputational risks)
Stakeholders They are deemed critical by key stakeholders (e.g., customers, suppliers, investors
or civil society)
Outsourcing They are outsourced activities previously performed in-house or activities outsourced by
the reporting company that are typically performed in-house by other companies in the
reporting company’s sector
Sector guidance They have been identified as significant by sector-specific guidance
Spending or They are areas that require a high level of spending or generate a high level of revenue
revenue analysis (and are sometimes correlated with high GHG emissions)
Other They meet any additional criteria developed by the company or industry sector
Source: Adapted from table 6.1 from the Scope 3 Standard

Introduction
Using a combination of calculation methods

Companies may use a combination of calculation methods for various scope 3 categories throughout the inventory,
as well as for various scope 3 activities within each scope 3 category. For example, within each scope 3 category, a
company may use more specific methods for the activities that contribute most to emissions and less specific methods
for the activities that contribute least to emissions.
Companies should take practical approaches to reduce costs and complexity without overly compromising quality.
These may include:
•• Applying more accurate data/calculations for large contributors

•• Applying less accurate data/calculations for small contributors
•• Grouping or combining similar activity data (e.g., goods and services)
•• Obtaining data from representative samples and extrapolating the results to the whole
•• Using proxy techniques.
Example: Using a combination of calculation methods
A coffee company purchased coffee beans from 100 different suppliers in the reporting year. If 10 of these
suppliers account for 85 percent of the quantity of purchased beans, the company may decide to calculate
emissions associated with the coffee beans from these 10 suppliers using primary data collected from the
suppliers, either using the “supplier-specific method” or the “hybrid method” (see chapter 1 for descriptions of the
calculation methods for scope 3 category 1). The company may then choose to extrapolate to 100 percent based
on the 85 percent of the beans for which data was collected.
The company spent a total of $20 million on purchasing coffee beans. The company also purchased a small
quantity of sugar, totaling $1 million for the year. As the sugar only accounts for a small proportion of the
company’s total expenditure, the company may choose not to engage with the sugar suppliers, but instead use
secondary emission factors, using either the “average-data method” or the “spend-based method.”
Significance of an activity’s emission contribution to the inventory is a key consideration when determining the
appropriate level of data specificity to calculate the emissions.
Overview of data types

Calculating emissions requires the use of two types of data: activity data and emission factors.
“Activity data” is a quantitative measure of a level of activity that results in GHG emissions (for example, liters of fuel
consumed, or kilograms of material purchased). An “emission factor” is a factor that converts activity data into GHG
emissions data (for example kg CO2 emitted per liter of fuel consumed, or kg CO2 emitted per kilograms of material
produced). More examples of activity data and emission factors are provided in table 7.2 in the Scope 3 Standard.
Companies are required to report a description of the types and sources of activity data and emission factors used to
calculate the inventory (see chapter 11 in the Scope 3 Standard).

Introduction
Material/product emission factors in scope 3 accounting

Two types of emission factors can be used for calculating emissions associated with a material or product:
•• Life cycle emission factors, which include emissions that occur at every stage of a material/product’s life, from raw
material acquisition or generation of natural resource to end of life
•• Cradle-to-gate (sometimes referred to as “upstream”) emission factors, which include all emissions that occur
in the life cycle of a material/product up to the point of sale by the producer.
In general, cradle-to-gate emission factors should be used to calculate emissions associated with goods or services (e.g.
category 1 (Purchased goods and services) and category 2 (Capital goods).
Energy emission factors in scope 3 accounting

Two types of emission factors are used to convert energy activity data into emissions data:
•• Life cycle emission factors, which include not only the emissions that occur from combusting the fuel, but all other
emissions that occur in the life cycle of the fuel such as emissions from extraction, processing, and transportation
•• Combustion emission factors, which include only the emissions that occur from combusting the fuel.
Companies should use life cycle emission factors to calculate scope 3 emissions related to fuels and energy consumed
in the reporting company’s value chain, except for category 3 (Fuel- and energy-related activities not included in scope
1 or scope 2). Combustion emission factors are used to calculate scope 1 emissions (in the case of fuels) and scope 2
emissions (in the case of electricity).
Two activities within scope 3 category 3 require special consideration when selecting emission factors:
•• Upstream emissions of purchased fuels (i.e., extraction, production, and transportation of fuels consumed by the
reporting company)
•• Upstream emissions of purchased electricity (i.e., extraction, production, and transportation of fuels consumed
in the generation of electricity, steam, heating, and cooling that is consumed by the reporting company).
To calculate emissions from these two activities, companies should use emission factors that include upstream
emissions (i.e., extraction, production, and transportation) but exclude emissions from combustion, since emissions
from combustion are accounted for in scope 1 (in the case of fuels), in scope 2 (in the case of electricity), and in a
separate memo item (in the case of direct CO2 emissions from combustion of biomass or biofuels). See Chapter 3 of the
Scope 3 Standard.
These emission factors that exclude combustion are referred to as “upstream emission factors,” since they include all
life cycle stages of the fuel up to but excluding the final stage – combustion.
Applicable greenhouse gases and global warming potential values

For each of the 15 scope 3 categories, companies are required to calculate emissions of all the GHGs required by the
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)/Kyoto Protocol at the time the inventory is
being compiled. National reporting guidelines under the UNFCCC and the Kyoto Protocol require that specific GHGs
be included in national GHG emissions inventories. To remain consistent with national inventory practices, the GHG
Protocol requires that these same GHGs also be reported in corporate GHG emissions inventories. Originally, the
requirements of the UNFCCC/Kyoto Protocol, and therefore of the GHG Protocol, were limited to a set of six individual
GHGs or classes of GHGs: carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs),
perfluorocarbons (PFCs), sulphur hexafluoride (SF6). However, changes to international accounting and reporting rules
under the UNFCCC/Kyoto Protocol now also require the reporting of another GHG, nitrogen trifluoride (NF3).

Introduction
As the Scope 3 Standard was released before NF3 was added to the list of GHGs covered by UNFCCC/Kyoto Protocol,
reporting NF3 was not originally included as a requirement in the Scope 3 Standard. However an amendment has been
published on the GHG Protocol website (http://www.ghgprotocol.org/) which supersedes the original requirements of
the Scope 3 Standard and it is now a requirement that NF3 be included.
In this document, carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions represent emissions of all greenhouse gases, aggregated
and converted to units of CO2e using global warming potential (GWP) values.
GWP values describe the radiative forcing impact (or degree of harm to the atmosphere) of one unit of a given GHG
relative to one unit of carbon dioxide. GWP values convert GHG emissions data for non-CO2 gases into units of CO2e.
Companies may either use the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) GWP values agreed to by United
Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) or the most recent GWP values published by the IPCC.
GWP values should be based on a 100-year time horizon. See section 7.2 of the Scope 3 Standard for more information
on GWP values. Companies are required to disclose the source of GWP values used to calculate the inventory (see
chapter 11 of the Scope 3 Standard).
Primary data and secondary data

Companies may use either primary or secondary data to calculate scope 3 emissions. Table III provides definitions of
these types of data.
Table [III] Types of data
Data type Description
Primary Data Data from specific activities within a company’s value chain
Secondary Data Data that is not from specific activities within a company’s value chain
Source: Table 7.4 from the Scope 3 Standard.
Primary data includes data provided by suppliers or others that directly relate to specific activities in the reporting
company’s value chain.
Secondary data includes industry-average-data (e.g., from published databases, government statistics, literature
studies, and industry associations), financial data, proxy data, and other generic data. In certain cases, companies may
use specific data from one activity in the value chain to estimate emissions for another activity in the value chain. This
type of data (i.e., proxy data) is considered secondary data, since it is not specific to the activity whose emissions are
being calculated.
See table 7.4 in the Scope 3 Standard for examples of primary and secondary data by scope 3 category.
Collecting primary data

Primary activity data may be obtained through meter readings, purchase records, utility bills, engineering models,
direct monitoring, mass balance, stoichiometry, or other methods for obtaining data from specific activities in the
company’s value chain.

Introduction
If possible, companies should collect energy or emissions data from suppliers and other value chain partners to obtain
site-specific data for priority scope 3 categories and activities (see “Screening to prioritize data collection,” above, for
guidance on identifying priority categories). To do so, companies should identify relevant suppliers from which to seek
GHG data. Suppliers may include contract manufacturers, materials and parts suppliers, capital equipment suppliers,
fuel suppliers, third-party logistics providers, waste management companies, and other companies that provide goods
and services to the reporting company.
In general, companies should seek activity data or emissions data from suppliers that are as specific as possible to the
product purchased from the supplier, following the hierarchy in table IV.
Table [IV] Levels of data (ranked in order of specificity)
Data Type Description
Product-level data Cradle-to-gate GHG emissions for the product of interest
Activity-, process-, GHG emissions and/or activity data for the activities, processes, or production
or production line-level data lines that produce the product of interest
Facility-level data GHG emissions and/or activity data for the facilities or operations that produce
the product of interest
Business-unit-level data GHG emissions and/or activity data for the business units that produce the
product of interest
Corporate-level data GHG emissions and/or activity data for the entire corporation
For more information on collecting primary data and guidance on issues such as how to treat the confidentiality
concerns of suppliers, refer to section 7.4 of the Scope 3 Standard.
Collecting secondary data

When using secondary databases, companies should prefer those that are internationally recognized, provided by
national governments, or peer-reviewed. Companies can use the data-quality indicators in section 7.3 of the Scope
3 Standard to select the secondary data sources that are the most complete, reliable, and representative to the
company’s activities in terms of technology, time, and geography.
Secondary data sources can cover different stages in the value chain. Care should be taken to understand the
boundaries covered by the data to minimize the potential for double counting errors across the value chain.
The secondary data sources included in the calculation resources of each category are examples and not an exhaustive
list. The GHG Protocol website has a more comprehensive list of secondary data sources at: http://www.ghgprotocol.
org/Third-Party-Databases.
For additional guidance on prioritizing data collection efforts, selecting data, collecting data, and filling data gaps, see
chapter 7 of the Scope 3 Standard.

Introduction
Environmentally-extended input output (EEIO) data

Environmentally-extended input output (EEIO) models estimate energy use and/or GHG emissions resulting from the
production and upstream supply chain activities of different sectors and products in an economy. The resulting EEIO
emissions factors can be used to estimate cradle-to-gate GHG emissions for a given industry or product category. EEIO data
are particularly useful in screening emissions sources when prioritizing data collection efforts. EEIO models are derived by
allocating national GHG emissions to groups of finished products based on economic flows between industry sectors.
The output of EEIO models is typically a quantity of GHGs emitted per unit of revenue in a particular industry sector. For
example, an EEIO model may estimate that the sector “paper mills” emits 1,520 tonnes CO2e per $1 million revenue,
meaning that, on average, 1,520 tonnes of CO2e are emitted during all upstream supply chain activities associated with
generating $1 million revenue from that sector.
The advantages of EEIO data include:
•• Comprehensive coverage of the entire economy (i.e., no emissions sources are excluded from the system boundary)
•• Simplicity of method and application
•• Time and cost savings as data requirements are less onerous than in a process-based approach.
The disadvantages of EEIO data include:
•• Broad sector averages may not represent nuances of unique processes and products, especially for non-
homogenous sectors
•• Assumption of linear attribution between monetary and environmental flows provides only indicative results (i.e.,
EEIO models cannot distinguish between products of different monetary value within a single sector)
•• Lacks specificity and accuracy of process-based approaches
•• Difficult to measure and demonstrate results of reduction efforts
•• EEIO databases are generally limited to a specific geographic region, (e.g., United States) and are not available in
some world regions.
Process-based data
Process-based data is derived from assessing all the known energy and environmental inputs of a particular process
and calculating the direct emissions associated with the outputs of the process. It is particularly applicable for unique
processes and individual product level analysis.
The advantages of process-based data include:
•• High level of specificity and focus

•• Detailed analysis and possibility of unique insights to particular processes
•• Straightforward concept.
The disadvantages of process based data include:
•• Collection of data may be time, cost, and labor intensive

•• Lack of comparability as the system boundary and the data are selected by the practitioner
•• Data requirements may render large-scale, multi-product analysis impractical.

Introduction
Combining EEIO and process-based data

Companies may combine the top down EEIO approach with the bottom-up, process-based approach to leverage the
benefits of both approaches. For example, the upstream emissions of purchased goods could be calculated using an EEIO
approach, whereas downstream emissions from use and end-of-life could be calculated using a process-based approach.
Companies are required to report a description of the types and sources of data used to calculate emissions for each
scope 3 category (see chapter 11 of the Scope 3 Standard).
Using proxy data to fill data gaps

Companies should use the guidance in section 7.3 of the Scope 3 Standard, “Guidance for selecting data” to assess the
quality of available data. If data of sufficient quality are not available, companies may use proxy data to fill data gaps.
Proxy data is data from a similar activity that is used as a stand-in for the given activity. Proxy data can be extrapolated,
scaled up, or customized to be more representative of the given activity (e.g., partial data for an activity can be
extrapolated or scaled up to represent 100 percent of the activity).
If a large company has access to 80 out of 100 manufacturing facilities it can extrapolate this information to fill the gap.
It would first group the activity data by similar characteristics, such as facility type or location, then calculate an intensity
ratio for a group of facilities where data is available (e.g., quantity of emissions per unit of production output). This
figure can then be applied to the unknown facilities in that group.
Section 7.5 of the Scope 3 Standard “Guidance for collecting secondary data and filling data gaps” provides more
information on the use of proxy data and its advantages and disadvantages.
If data are unavailable for a large number of sites or if a company needs to collect a large quantity of data for a scope
3 category, but finds it impractical or impossible to collect data from each individual activity, the company may use
appropriate sampling techniques to extrapolate data from a representative sample of activities. See Appendix A for
guidance on sampling methods.
Improving data quality over time

Collecting data, assessing data quality, and improving data quality is an iterative process. When selecting data sources,
companies should first apply data quality indicators and assess data quality, then review the quality of the collected
data, using the same data quality assessment approach. In their initial years of scope 3 data collection, companies may
need to use data of relatively low quality due to limited availability. Over time, companies should seek to improve
the data quality of the inventory by replacing lower quality data with higher quality data as it becomes available. In
particular, companies should prioritize data quality improvement for activities that have:
•• Relatively low data quality

•• Relatively high emissions.
Companies are required to provide a description of the data quality of reported scope 3 emissions data to ensure
transparency and avoid misinterpretation of data (see chapter 11 of the Scope 3 Standard). Refer to section 7.3
for guidance on describing data quality; Appendix B for guidance on uncertainty; and section 9.3 for guidance on
recalculating base year emissions when making improvements in data quality over time.

Introduction
It is unlikely that all of a company’s relevant suppliers will be able to provide it with GHG inventory data. (See table 7.8
of the Scope 3 Standard for a list of challenges and guidance for collecting primary data from suppliers.) In such cases,
companies should encourage suppliers to develop GHG inventories in the future and may communicate their efforts to
encourage more suppliers to provide GHG emissions data in the public report.
If changes in data quality result in significant differences in emissions estimates, companies are required to recalculate
base year emissions applying the new data sources. Refer to page 106 of the Scope 3 Standard for guidance on base
year recalculations for improvements in data accuracy over time. Appendix C of the Scope 3 Standard also provides a
useful resource for developing a data management plan and improving data management.
GHG Protocol publications and tools

Several GHG publications and calculation tools offer help in calculating emissions from various scope 3 categories. In
particular, several cross-sector and sector-specific calculation tools available on the GHG Protocol website (http://www.
ghgprotocol.org/calculation-tools/all-tools) provide step-by-step guidance together with electronic worksheets to help
companies calculate GHG emissions from specific sources or sectors.

1
Category 1:
Purchased Goods and Services
Category description
T
his category includes all upstream (i.e., cradle-to-gate) emissions from the production
of products purchased or acquired by the reporting company in the reporting year.
Products include both goods (tangible products) and services (intangible products).
Category 1 includes emissions from all purchased goods and services not otherwise included in the other categories
of upstream scope 3 emissions (i.e., category 2 through category 8). Specific categories of upstream emissions are
separately reported in category 2 through category 8 to enhance the transparency and consistency of scope 3 reports.
Emissions from the transportation of purchased products from a tier one (direct) supplier to the reporting company (in
vehicles not owned or controlled by the reporting company) are accounted for in category 4 (Upstream transportation
and distribution).
Companies may find it useful to differentiate between purchases of production-related products (e.g., materials,
components, and parts) and non-production-related products (e.g., office furniture, office supplies, and IT support). This
distinction may be aligned with procurement practices and therefore may be a useful way to more efficiently organize
and collect data (see box 5.2 of the Scope 3 Standard).
Summary of methods for calculating emissions from purchased goods and services
Companies may use the methods listed below to calculate scope 3 emissions from purchased goods and services. The first
two methods – supplier-specific and hybrid – require the reporting company to collect data from the suppliers, whereas the
second two methods – average-data and spend-based – use secondary data (i.e. industry average data). These methods are
listed in order of how specific2 the calculation is to the individual supplier of a good or service. However, companies need
not always use the most specific method as a first preference (see figure 1.1 and box 1.1).
2 See Box 1.1 for further explanation of the data specificity and data accuracy

CATEGORY 1 Purchased Goods and Services
•• Supplier-specific method – collects product-level cradle-to-gate GHG inventory data from goods or services suppliers.
•• Hybrid method – uses a combination of supplier-specific activity data (where available) and secondary data to fill
the gaps. This method involves:
•• collecting allocated scope 1 and scope 2 emission data directly from suppliers;
•• calculating upstream emissions of goods and services from suppliers’ activity data on the amount of materials,
fuel, electricity, used, distance transported, and waste generated from the production of goods and services and
applying appropriate emission factors; and
•• using secondary data to calculate upstream emissions wherever supplier-specific data is not available.
•• Average-data method – estimates emissions for goods and services by collecting data on the mass (e.g., kilograms
or pounds), or other relevant units of goods or services purchased and multiplying by the relevant secondary (e.g.,
industry average) emission factors (e.g., average emissions per unit of good or service).
1. wheat
1 2 3
•• Spend-based method – estimates1 emissions
2 for goods and services
2. tree
3
3. mountains by collecting
1. wheatdata on the economic value of
2. tree
4. glass bottle
goods and services purchased and multiplying it by relevant secondary

5. plastic bottle
6. aluminium can (e.g., industry
3. mountains
4. glass bottle
average) emission factors (e.g.,
7. factory
5. plastic bottle
average emissions per monetary value of goods). 8. lorry
9. cloud 6. aluminium can
10. recycling bin
11. recycling bin (colours 7. factory
4 5 6
reversed) 8. lorry
12. wind turbines
9. cloud
13. chicken
14. cow 1 10. recycling bin
15. cow 2 11. recycling bin (colours
Figure [1.1] Different data 4types used for different
5 calculation methods 16. shop
17.6factory showing carbon
1 1
reversed)
12. wind turbines
2 2 3 3
1. wheat 1. wheat
emissions (carbon 2. tree 2. tree
emissions are shown in 13. chicken 3. mountains 3. mountains
orange) 4. glass bottle 4. glass bottle
14. cow 1 5. plastic bottle5. plastic bottle
7 8 9
15. cow 2 6. aluminium can 6. aluminium can
16. shop 7. factory 7. factory
8. lorry 8. lorry
17. factory showing carbon 9. cloud 9. cloud
Product life cycle stages emissions (carbon

emissions are shown in
10. recycling bin
11. recycling bin
reversed)
10. recycling bin
11. recycling bin (colours
(colours
reversed)
4 4 orange)5 5 6 6
12. wind turbines12. wind turbines
13. chicken 13. chicken
14. cow 1 14. cow 1
Supplier’s scope
7 8 9 1. wheat 15. cow 2 15. cow 2
1 2 3 16. shop
2. tree 16. shop
10 11 12
3. mountains 17. factory
17. factory showing carbonshowing carbon
1 & 2 emissions
4. glass bottle
5. plastic bottle
emissions (carbonemissions (carbon
emissions
emissions are shown
orange)
in are shown in
6. aluminium can orange)
7. factory
8. lorry
All other upstream emissions

7 7 8 8 9 9
9. cloud
Calculation Notes on
10. recycling bin
from production of product

reversed)
Method data used

4 5 6
13 14 15 12. wind turbines
13. chicken
14. cow 1
10 11 12 15. cow 2
16. shop
17. factory showing carbon
emissions10
(carbon 10 11 11 All12data is12specific to the
Supplier-specific method Supplier-specific data Supplier-specific data
orange) supplier’s product
7 8 9
16 17
Supplier-specific data
13 14 or average 15
13 13 14 14 Scope
15 1 & 2 15
data specific to
Hybrid method Supplier-specific data supplier’s product, all other
data, or a combination of both
10 11 12 upstream emissions either
supplier specific or average
16 16 17 17
13 14 15 All emissions are based on

Average-data method 16
Average17data Average data secondary process data
All emissions are based on

Spend-based method Average data Average data
16 17 secondary EEIO data

Collecting data directly from suppliers adds considerable time and cost burden to conducting a scope 3 inventory, so
companies should first carry out a screening (see Introduction, “Screening to prioritize data collection”) to prioritize
data collection and decide which calculation method is most appropriate to achieve their business goals.
Box [1.1] The difference between data specificity and data accuracy
Even though the supplier-specific and hybrid methods are more specific to the individual supplier than the average-data
and spend-based methods, they may not produce results that are a more accurate reflection of the product’s contribution
to the reporting company’s scope 3 emissions. In fact, data collected from a supplier may actually be less accurate than
industry-average data for a particular product. Accuracy derives from the granularity of the emissions data, the reliability
of the supplier’s data sources, and which, if any, allocation techniques were used. The need to allocate the supplier’s
emissions to the specific products it sells to the company can add a considerable degree of uncertainty, depending on the
allocation methods used (for more information on allocation, see chapter 8 of the Scope 3 Standard).
Figure 1.2 provides a decision tree to help companies determine the most appropriate calculation method for
estimating their category 1 emissions. Companies may use different calculation methods for different types of
purchased goods and services within category 1. For example, they can use more specific methods for categories of
goods and services that contribute the most to total emissions. The choice of calculation method depends on several
factors outlined in the Introduction, including the company’s business goals, the significance (relative to total emissions)
of goods and services within category 1, the availability of data, and the quality of available data. See sections 7.3 and
7.4 of the Scope 3 Standard for guidance on assessing data quality.

Figure [1.2] Decision tree for selecting a calculation method for emissions from purchased goods and services
Based on
screening, does the
purchased good or
service contribute
Are data available Can the tier 1 supplier
significantly to
on the physical provide product-level
scope 3 emissions
quantity of the cradle-to-gate
or is supplier
purchased good GHG data (of Use the supplier-
engagement
yes or service? yes sufficient quality* yes specific method
otherwise
to meet the business
relevant to the
goals) for the
business goals?
purchased good or
service?
no no no
Are data available Can the supplier provide allocated scope 1 and 2 data
Use the hybrid
on the physical (of sufficient quality* to meet the business goals) yes
method
quantity of the relating to the purchased good or service?
purchased good or
service?
no no
no yes Use the

average-data
method
Use the spend-based method
Note * Companies should collect data of sufficient quality to ensure that the inventory:
• most appropriately reflects the GHG emissions of the company
• supports the company’s business goals for conducting a GHG inventory
• serves the decision-making needs of users, both internal and external to the company.
For more information on how to determine whether data is of sufficient quality, see section 7.3 of the Scope 3 Standard
Source: World Resources Institute

Supplier-specific method
Supplier-specific product-level data is the most accurate because it relates to the specific good or service purchased by
the reporting company and avoids the need for allocation (see chapter 8 of the Scope 3 Standard).
Activity data needed

•• Quantities or units of goods or services purchased
Emission factors needed

•• Supplier-specific cradle-to-gate emission factors for the purchased goods or services (e.g., if the supplier has
conducted a reliable cradle-to-gate GHG inventory, for example, using the GHG Protocol Product Standard).
Data collection guidance

Companies may send questionnaires to each relevant supplier or other value chain partner requesting the following:
•• Product life cycle GHG emissions data following the GHG Protocol Product Standard
•• A description of the methodologies used to quantify emissions and a description of the data sources used (including
emission factors and GWP values)
•• Whether the data has been assured/verified, and if so, the type of assurance achieved
•• Any other relevant information (e.g., percentage of the product inventory calculated using primary data).
Note that to the extent possible, the data provided by the supplier should be for the same time interval as the
reporting company’s scope 3 inventory and preference should be given to verified data.
When collecting emission factors from suppliers it is recommended that companies also request information relating
to the ratio of primary and secondary data used to calculate the emission factor. This information will provide
transparency around how much primary data the supplier used to calculate the emission factor for its product. As
suppliers become more sophisticated in GHG assessments, the percentage of primary data used to calculate emissions
factors for their products is likely to increase. Collecting information on the ratio of primary and secondary data will
enable this ratio to be measured and tracked over time.
Calculation formula [1.1] Supplier-specific method
CO2e emissions for purchased goods or services =
sum across purchased goods or services:

∑ (quantities of good purchased (e.g., kg)
× supplier-specific product emission factor of purchased good or service (e.g., kg CO2e/kg))

Example [1.1] Calculating emissions from purchased goods and services using the supplier-specific method
Company A is a construction company that purchases materials for its operations. Using its internal IT system, Company
A is able to determine the total weight (kg) purchased for each material.
Company A collects product-specific emission factors from the supplier for the purchased goods, which were produced
as part of the suppliers’ internal GHG inventory reports.
Purchased good Supplier Quantities purchased (kg) Supplier-specific emission

factor (kg CO2e/kg)
Cement Supplier C 200,000 0.15
Plaster Supplier D 600,000 0.10
Paint Supplier E 200,000 0.10
Timber Supplier F 100,000 0.25
Concrete Supplier G 50,000 0.20
Note: The activity data and emissions factors are illustrative only, and do not refer to actual data.
Total emissions of purchased goods by Company A is calculated as follows:

∑ (quantities of good purchased (e.g., kg)
× supplier-specific emission factor of purchased good or service (e.g., kg CO2e/kg))
= (200,000 × 0.15) + (600,000 × 0.1) + (200,000 × 0.1) + (100,000 × 0.25) + (50,000 × 0.2)
= 145,000 kg CO2e
Hybrid method
For each supplier, reporting companies should collect as much of the following activity data relating to the good or
service purchased as is available (if data is unavailable for certain activities, secondary data can be used to fill the gaps):
•• Allocated scope 1 and scope 2 data (including emissions from electricity use and fuel use and any process and
fugitive emissions). For guidance on allocating emissions, refer to chapter 8 of the Scope 3 Standard
•• Mass or volume of material inputs (e.g., bill of materials), mass or volume of fuel inputs used, and distance from the
origin of the raw material inputs to the supplier (the transport emissions from the supplier to the reporting company
is calculated in category 4 so it should not be included here)
•• Quantities of waste output other emissions.
Note that, to the extent possible, the data provided by the supplier should be for the same time interval as the
reporting company’s scope 3 inventory and preference should be given to assured data.
If it is not feasible for the company to collect data from all its suppliers for all purchased goods, the company may use
extrapolation and sampling techniques (see Appendix A).

If a supplier cannot provide data on some or all of the items in the list above, the reporting company may combine the
available supplier-specific data with secondary data for the other activities.
Companies should also collect either:
•• Mass or number of units of purchased goods or services (e.g., kg, m3, hours spent, etc.)
•• Amount spent on purchased goods or services, by product type, using market values (e.g., dollars).

Depending what activity data has been collected from the supplier, companies may need to collect:
•• Cradle-to-gate emission factors for materials used by tier 1 supplier to produce purchased goods (Note: these
emission factors can either be supplier-specific emission factors provided by the supplier, or industry-average
emission factors sourced from a secondary database. In general, preference should be given to more specific and
verified emission factors)
•• Life cycle emission factors for fuel used by incoming transport of input materials to tier 1 supplier
•• Emission factors for waste outputs by tier 1 suppliers to produce purchased goods
•• Other emission factors as applicable (e.g., process emissions).
The secondary emission factors required will also depend on what data is available for the purchased good. Companies
will need to collect either:
•• Cradle-to-gate emission factors of the purchased goods or services per unit of mass or unit of product
(e.g., kg CO2e/kg or kg CO2e/hour spent)
•• Cradle-to-gate emission factors of the purchased goods or services per unit of economic value (e.g., kg CO2e/$).

To combine the primary data collected from the supplier with secondary data (to fill the gaps), the secondary emission
factors must be disaggregated so the necessary elements can be overwritten with the supplier-specific data. For
example, if a company collects only scope 1, scope 2, and waste data from the supplier, all other upstream emissions
need to be estimated using secondary data (see example 1.3 below).
The reporting company may request the following information from suppliers to assist calculation:
•• Internal data systems (e.g., bill of materials, freight distance of incoming raw materials)
•• Public GHG inventory reports accessible through GHG reporting programs.
Data sources for emission factors include:
•• The data sources on the GHG Protocol website (http://www.ghgprotocol.org/Third-Party-Databases). Additional

databases may be added periodically, so continue to check the website
•• Company- or supplier-developed emission factors (e.g., if the supplier has conducted a reliable cradle-to-gate
product GHG inventory or internal LCA report)
•• Life cycle databases
•• Industry associations
•• Government agencies (e.g., Defra provides emission factors for the United Kingdom)
•• For activity data, emission factors, and formulas for process and fugitive emissions, see the GHG Protocol website
(http://www.ghgprotocol.org/calculation-tools/all-tools) and the IPCC 2006 Guidelines (http://www.ipcc-nggip.iges.
or.jp/public/2006gl/index.html).

Calculation formula [1.2] Hybrid method (where supplier-specific activity data is available for all activities
associated with producing the purchased goods)
CO2e emissions for purchased goods and services =
sum across purchased goods and services:

∑ scope 1 and scope 2 emissions of tier 1 supplier relating to purchased good or service (kg CO2e)
+
sum across material inputs of the purchased goods and services:
∑ (mass or quantity of material inputs used by tier 1 supplier relating to purchased good or service (kg or unit)
× cradle-to-gate emission factor for the material (kg CO2e/kg or kg CO2e/unit))
+
sum across transport of material inputs to tier 1 supplier:
∑ (distance of transport of material inputs to tier 1 supplier (km)
× mass or volume of material input (tonnes or TEUs)
× cradle-to-gate emission factor for the vehicle type (kg CO2e/tonne or TEU/km))
+
sum across waste outputs by tier 1 supplier relating to purchased goods and services:
∑ (mass of waste from tier 1 supplier relating to the purchased good or service (kg)
× emission factor for waste activity (kg CO2e/kg))
+
other emissions emitted in provision of the good or service as applicable
If the supplier is not able to provide specific information about its goods or services sold to the company, it may be
necessary to allocate the emissions. For example, to calculate the sum of the waste outputs by the tier 1 supplier that
relate to the purchased goods, a company can allocate a proportion of the total waste from the supplier’s operations to
the purchased product. Guidance on allocation can be found in chapter 8 of the Scope 3 Standard.
Example [1.2] Calculating emissions from purchased goods using the hybrid method
Company A prints designs on t-shirts; it purchases the t-shirts from supplier B. Company A obtains the following
information about supplier B’s scope 1 and scope 2 emissions and waste generated, relating to the t-shirts sold to
Company A. Company A also obtains information regarding supplier B’s material inputs relating to the t-shirts sold to
Company A and transport of these material inputs to supplier B. Company A also collects representative emission factors
by reference to life cycle databases.
Scope 1 and scope 2 data from supplier B relating to production of purchased goods
Amount (kWh) Emission factor (kg CO2e/kWh)
Electricity 5,000 0.5
Natural gas 2,500 0.2

Example [1.2] Calculating emissions from purchased goods using the hybrid method (continued)
Material inputs of purchased goods
Mass purchased (kg) Emission factor (kg CO2e/kg)
Cotton 5,000 7.0
Polymer 2,500 5.0
Chemical A 500 2.0
Chemical B 500 1.5
Transport of material inputs to supplier B
Distance of transport (km) Vehicle type emission factor (kg CO2e/kg/km)
Cotton 1,000 0.01
Polymer 2,500 0.02
Chemical A 800 0.05
Chemical B 200 0.10
Waste outputs by supplier B relating to production of purchased goods
Amount (kg) Emission factor (kg CO2e/kg of waste sent to landfill)
Waste sent to landfill 100 0.5

Example [1.2] Calculating emissions from purchased goods using the hybrid method (continued)
Emissions at each stage are calculated by multiplying activity data by respective emission factors, as follows:
scope 1 and scope 2 emissions by supplier B:

∑ scope 1 and scope 2 emissions of supplier B relating to purchased good (kg CO2e)
= (5,000 × 0.5) + (2,500 × 0.2)
= 3,000 kg CO2e
material input emissions:

∑ (mass or value of material inputs used by supplier B relating to purchased good (kg or $)
× emission factor for the material (kg CO2e/kg or kg CO2e/$))
= (5,000 × 7) + (2,500 × 5) + (500 × 2) + (500 × 1.5)
= 49,250 kg CO2e
transport of material inputs emissions:

∑ (distance of transport of material inputs to supplier B (km) × mass of material input (kg)
× emission factor for the vehicle type (kg CO2e/kg/km))
= (5,000 × 1,000 × 0.01) + (2,500 × 2,500 × 0.02) + (500 × 800 × 0.05) + (500 × 200 × 0.1)
= 20,500 kg CO2e
waste output by supplier B:

∑ (mass of waste from supplier B relating to the purchased good (sent to landfill) (kg)
× emission factor for waste to landfill (kg CO2e/kg))
= 100 × 0.5
= 50 kg CO2e
total emissions of purchased t-shirts from supplier B is calculated by summing the above results, as follows:
3,000 + 49,250 + 20,500 + 50
= 72,800 kg CO2e
If the reporting company decides that it is not within the company’s business goals to collect all the data needed
to calculate emissions based entirely on supplier-specific activity data, the reporting company may choose to use a
combination of supplier-specific and average data. This option may be desirable in cases where supplier engagement
is part of a company’s business goals for carrying out a scope 3 inventory, but where collecting all the data necessary
to calculate a cradle-to-gate emission factor from supplier-specific activity data is not practical. It is likely that many
suppliers will not be able to provide all the activity data listed, so this technique of combining some supplier-specific
data with secondary data is a possible alternative.
Calculation formula 1.3 follows the same structure as calculation formula 1.2. The difference is that where data is
unavailable for certain activities, secondary data (either process data or EEIO data) is used to fill the gaps. (See also
figure 1.1.).
Calculation formula 1.3 shows an example in which only scope 1 and scope 2 data and waste data were collected from
the supplier, however, any combination of data could be collected from suppliers and the remaining data estimated
using secondary data in the same way.

Calculation formula [1.3] H

ybrid method (where only allocated scope 1 and scope 2 emissions and waste
data are available from supplier)
CO2e emissions for a purchased good where the supplier can only provide scope 1 and scope 2
emissions data and waste generated in operations data =
sum across purchased goods and services:

∑ scope 1 and scope 2 emissions of tier 1 supplier relating to purchased good or service (kg CO2e)
+
∑ (mass of waste from tier 1 supplier relating to the purchased good (kg)
× emission factor for waste activity (kg CO2e/kg))
+
∑ (mass or quantity of units of purchased good or service (kg)
× emission factor of purchased good excluding scope 1, scope 2, and emissions from waste generated by
producer (kg CO2e/kg or unit or $))
Example [1.3] C
alculating emissions from a purchased good by using the hybrid method (where only
allocated scope 1 and scope 2 emissions and waste data are available from supplier)
Using the same example, company A prints designs on t-shirts; it purchases the t-shirts from supplier B. However, in this
case, supplier B only has data available on allocated scope 1 and scope 2 emissions and waste generated in supplier B’s
operations (emissions and waste were allocated using physical allocation based on the total output of t-shirts in the
reporting year and the quantity of t-shirts sold to Company A). Company A has to estimate the upstream emissions of
supplier B using secondary data. Company A collects data on the quantity of t-shirts purchased from supplier B, as well as
a cradle-to-gate emission factor for the production of a t-shirt (by reference to life cycle databases).
Scope 1 and scope 2 data from supplier B relating to production of purchased goods
Amount (kWh) Emission factor (kg CO2e/kWh)
Natural gas 2,500 0.2
Waste outputs by supplier B relating to production of purchased goods
Amount (kg) Emission factor (kg CO2e/kg of waste sent to landfill)
Waste sent to landfill 100 0.5

Example [1.3] C
alculating emissions from a purchased good by using the hybrid method (where only
allocated scope 1 and scope 2 emissions and waste data are available from supplier)
(continued)
Quantity of t-shirts purchased from supplier B and cradle-to-gate emission factor from life cycle database. The cradle-
to-gate process emission factor is from a database where it is possible to disaggregate the stages of the life cycle of the
t-shirt. Emissions associated with the manufacture stage were excluded as these represent the emissions of supplier B
itself (as opposed to cotton farming, processing, etc., which occur further upstream).
Number of Cradle-to-gate process Cradle-to-gate process emission factor

t-shirts pur- emission factor (kg (kg CO2e/per t-shirt) (excluding scope
chased from CO2e/per t-shirt) 1 and 2 emissions and emissions from
supplier B waste associated with final producer)
T-shirts 12,000 6 5.6
Emissions at each stage are calculated by multiplying activity data by respective emission factors, as follows:
scope 1 and scope 2 emissions from supplier B:
∑ scope 1 and scope 2 emissions of supplier B relating to purchased good (kg CO2e)
= (5,000 × 0.5) + (2,500 × 0.2)
= 3,000 kg CO2e
waste output from supplier B:

∑ (mass of waste from supplier B relating to the purchased good (sent to landfill) (kg)
× emission factor for waste to landfill (kg CO2e/kg))
= 100 × 0.5
= 50 kg CO2e
all other upstream emissions from supplier B:

× emission factor of purchased good excluding scope 1 and scope 2 emissions of producer (kg CO2e/kg or unit
or $))
= (50,000 × 5.6)
= 67,200 kg CO2e
total emissions of purchased t-shirts from supplier B is calculated by summing the above results, as follows:
= 3,000 + 50 + 67,200
= 70,250 kg CO2e

Average-data method
In this method, the company collects data on the mass or other relevant units of purchased goods or services and
multiplies them by relevant secondary (e.g., industry average) cradle-to-gate emission factors. Secondary emission
factors may be found in process-based life cycle inventory databases. Refer to “Secondary data sources” in the
Introduction for further guidance on these databases.

•• Mass or number of units of purchased goods or services for a given year (e.g., kg, hours spent).
Companies may organize the above data more efficiently by differentiating purchased goods or services into mass and
other categories of units (e.g., volume), where appropriate.

•• Cradle-to-gate emission factors of the purchased goods or services per unit of mass or unit of product
(e.g., kg CO2e/kg or kg CO2e/hour spent).

Data sources for activity data include:
•• Internal data systems (e.g., bill of materials)

•• Purchasing records.
•• Process life cycle databases

•• Industry associations.
Companies should assess both the age of the database (i.e., temporal representativeness) and the geographic
relevance to the supplier’s location (e.g., geographical representativeness), as well as the technological representatives,
completeness, and reliability of the data. For additional guidance, see sections 7.3 and 7.5 of the Scope 3 Standard.
Calculation formula [1.4] Average-data method

∑ (mass of purchased good or service (kg)
× emission factor of purchased good or service per unit of mass (kg CO2e/kg))
or
∑ (unit of purchased good or service (e.g., piece)
× emission factor of purchased good or service per reference unit (e.g., kg CO2e/piece))

Spend-based method
If the supplier-specific method, hybrid method, and average-data method are not feasible (e.g., due to data limitations),
companies should apply the average spend-based method by collecting data on the economic value of purchased goods
and services and multiplying them by the relevant EEIO emission factors. Refer to the “Secondary data sources” in the
Introduction for further guidance on EEIO data.
Companies may use a combination of the material-based method and spend-based method by using both process-
based and EEIO data for various purchased goods and services.

•• Amount spent on purchased goods or services, by product type, using market values (e.g., dollars)
•• Where applicable, inflation data to convert market values between the year of the EEIO emissions factors and the
year of the activity data.

•• Cradle-to-gate emission factors of the purchased goods or services per unit of economic value (e.g., kg CO2e/$).

•• Internal data systems (e.g., enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems)

•• Bill of materials
•• Purchasing records.
•• Environmentally-extended input-output (EEIO) databases

Calculation formula [1.5] Spend-based method

∑ (value of purchased good or service ($)
× emission factor of purchased good or service per unit of economic value (kg CO2e/$))

Example [1.4] Calculating emissions from purchased goods and services by using a combination
of the average-data method and the spend-based method
Company E purchases over 1,000 components and raw materials to manufacture a broad range of electronic goods.
Instead of obtaining data from all suppliers and allocating emissions between 1,000 separate goods, the company
groups purchased goods based on:
•• Semi-processed components (e.g., average semiconductor)

•• Raw materials (e.g., average steel).
Physical data (mass) is available only for the semi-processed components. For raw materials, only spend data is available.
Company E calculates the mass of semi-processed components by combining primary data available through its IT
systems with extrapolation techniques. For raw materials, the company determines the amount spent through its
enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. Company E obtains process-based cradle-to-gate emission factors for the
semi-processed components and EEIO cradle-to-gate emission factors for the raw materials.
The results of the data collection are summarized below:
Purchased semi-processed components Mass (kg) Emission factor (kg CO2e/kg)
Hard drive 400 20
Integrated circuits 200 10
Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) 500 40
Semiconductors 100 70
Battery 1,500 3
Keyboard 300 3

Example [1.4] Calculating emissions from purchased goods and services by using a combination
of the average-data method and the spend-based method (continued)
Purchased raw materials Value ($) Emission factor (kg CO2e/$)
Plastic (PS) 5,000 0.3
Plastic (ABS) 3,000 0.3
PET (film) 4,000 0.3
Aluminum 6,000 0.5
Steel 1,500 0.2
Cyclohexane 5,000 0.2
Epoxy resin 5,000 0.3
Copper 1,000 0.3
Glass 5,000 0.4
Note: the activity data and emissions factors are illustrative only, and do not refer to actual data.
Total emissions of purchased goods by Company E can be calculated by multiplying the mass/value
purchased by the respective emission factors and summing the results, as follows:
= (400 × 20) + (200 × 10) + (500 × 40) + (100 × 70) + (1,500 × 3) + (300 × 3) + (5,000 × 0.3)
+ (3,000 × 0.3) + (4,000 × 0.3) + (6,000 × 0.5) + (1,500 × 0.2) + (5,000 × 0.2)
+ (5,000 × 0.3) + (1,000 × 0.3) + (5,000 × 0.4)
= 54,100 kg CO2e

2
Category 2:
Capital Goods
T
his category includes all upstream (i.e., cradle-to-gate) emissions from the
production of capital goods purchased or acquired by the reporting company in the
reporting year. Emissions from the use of capital goods by the reporting company
are accounted for in either scope 1 (e.g., for fuel use) or scope 2 (e.g., for electricity use),
rather than in scope 3.
Capital goods are final products that have an extended life and are used by the company to manufacture a product;
provide a service; or sell, store, and deliver merchandise. In financial accounting, capital goods are treated as fixed
assets or as plant, property, and equipment (PP&E). Examples of capital goods include equipment, machinery, buildings,
facilities, and vehicles.
In certain cases, there may be ambiguity over whether a particular purchased product is a capital good (to be reported
in category 2) or a purchased good (to be reported in category 1). Companies should follow their own financial
accounting procedures to determine whether to account for a purchased product as a capital good in this category or
as a purchased good or service in category 1. Companies should not double count emissions between category 1 and
category 2. See box 2.1 for accounting for emissions from capital goods.

CATEGORY 2 Capital Goods
Box [2.1] Accounting for emissions from capital goods
In financial accounting, capital goods (sometimes called “capital assets”) are typically depreciated or amortized over
the life of the asset. For purposes of accounting for scope 3 emissions, companies should not depreciate, discount, or
amortize the emissions from the production of capital goods over time. Instead companies should account for the total
cradle-to-gate emissions of purchased capital goods in the year of acquisition, the same way the company accounts
for emissions from other purchased products in category 1. If major capital purchases occur only once every few
years, scope 3 emissions from capital goods may fluctuate significantly from year to year. Companies should provide
appropriate context in the public report (e.g., by highlighting exceptional or non-recurring capital investments).
Source: Box 5.4 from the Scope 3 Standard
Calculating emissions from capital goods

Companies may use the following methods to calculate scope 3 emissions from capital goods:
•• Supplier-specific method, which involves collecting product-level cradle-to-gate GHG inventory data from goods
suppliers
•• Hybrid method, which involves a combination of supplier-specific activity data (as available) and using secondary
data to fill the gaps. This method involves:
•• collecting allocated scope 1 and scope 2 emissions from suppliers
•• calculating upstream emissions of goods by collecting available data from suppliers on the amount of materials,
fuel, electricity used, distance transported, and waste generated from the production of goods and applying
appropriate emission factors
•• using secondary data to calculate upstream emissions wherever supplier-specific data is not available.
•• Average-product method, which involves estimating emissions for goods by collecting data on the mass or other
relevant units of goods purchased and multiplying by relevant secondary (e.g., industry average) emission factors
(e.g., average emissions per unit of good)
•• Average spend-based method, which involves estimating emissions for goods by collecting data on the economic
value of goods purchased and multiplying by relevant secondary (e.g., industry average) emission factors (e.g.,
average emissions per monetary value of goods).
The calculation methods for category 1 (Purchased goods and services) and category 2 (Capital goods) are the same.
For guidance on calculating emissions from category 2 (Capital goods), refer to the guidance in the previous section for
category 1 (Purchased goods and services).

3
Category 3:
Fuel- and Energy-Related Activities
Not Included in Scope 1 or Scope 2
T
his category includes emissions related to the production of fuels and energy
purchased and consumed by the reporting company in the reporting year that are
not included in scope 1 or scope 2.
Category 3 excludes emissions from the combustion of fuels or electricity consumed by the reporting company because
they are already included in scope 1 or scope 2. Scope 1 includes emissions from the combustion of fuels by sources
owned or controlled by the reporting company. Scope 2 includes the emissions from the combustion of fuels to
generate electricity, steam, heating, and cooling purchased and consumed by the reporting company.
This category includes emissions from four activities (see table 3.1).

CATEGORY 3 Fuel- and Energy-Related Activities Not Included in Scope 1 or Scope 2
Table [3.1] A
ctivities included in category 3 (Fuel- and energy-related emissions not included in scope 1
or scope 2)
Activity Description Applicability
A. Upstream Extraction, production, and transportation of fuels consumed by the Applicable to end
emissions of reporting company users of fuels
purchased fuels Examples include mining of coal, refining of gasoline, transmission and
distribution of natural gas, production of biofuels, etc.
B. Upstream Extraction, production, and transportation of fuels consumed in the gen- Applicable to end
emissions eration of electricity, steam, heating, and cooling that is consumed by the users of electricity,
of purchased reporting company steam, heating,
electricity Examples include mining of coal, refining of fuels, extraction of natural and cooling
gas, etc.
C. Transmission Generation (upstream activities and combustion) of electricity, steam, Applicable to end
and distribution heating, and cooling that is consumed (i.e., lost) in a T&D system – report- users of electricity,
(T&D) losses ed by end user steam, heating,
and cooling
D. Generation of Generation (upstream activities and combustion) of electricity, steam, Applicable to utility
purchased heating, and cooling that is purchased by the reporting company and companies and en-
electricity that is sold to end users – reported by utility company or energy retailer ergy retailers*
sold to end users Note: This activity is particularly relevant for utility companies that pur-
chase wholesale electricity supplied by independent power producers
for resale to their customers.

Note: * Energy retailers include any company selling excess power to the grid.
Table 3.2 explains how each company accounts for GHG emissions. In this example, the emission factor of the electricity
sold by Company B is 1 tonne (t) CO2e/MWh. All numbers are illustrative only.

Table [3.2] Accounting for emissions across an electricity value chain
Reporting company Scope 1 Scope 2 Scope 3
Coal mining, processing, 5 t CO2e 0 t CO2e 100 t CO e from the combustion of sold products (i.e., coal)
2
and transport (unless electricity is

(Company A) used during coal min- Reported in category 11 (Use of sold products)
ing and processing)
Power generator 100 t CO2e 0 t CO2e 5 t CO e from the extraction, production, and transporta-
2
(Company B) tion of fuel (i.e., coal) consumed by the reporting company
Reported in Category 3 (Fuel- and energy-related activi-

ties not included in scope 1 or scope 2)
Note: The generator does not account for scope 3

emissions associated with sold electricity because the
emissions are already accounted for in scope 1.
Utility 0 10 t CO e from the

2
0.5 t CO e from the extraction, production, and trans-
2
(Company C) (unless SF6 generation of elec- portation of fuels (i.e., coal) consumed in the gener-
is released tricity purchased ation of electricity consumed by Company C (5 tons
from the and consumed by from coal mining x 10 percent of electricity generated
T&D system) Company C by B that is consumed by C)
94.5 t CO e from the generation (life cycle, i.e.,

2
upstream activities and combustion) of electricity pur-

chased by Company C and sold to Company D
Both are reported in category 3 (Fuel- and energy-related

activities not included in scope 1 or scope 2)
End consumer of 0 90 t CO e from the

2
4.5 t CO e from the extraction, production, and
2
electricity (Company D) generation of elec- transportation of coal consumed in the generation of

tricity purchased electricity consumed by Company D
and consumed by
10.5 t CO e from the generation (life cycle, i.e., upstream
Company D 2
activities and combustion) of electricity that is con-

sumed (i.e., lost) in transmission and distribution
Both are reported in category 3 (Fuel- and energy-related

activities not included in scope 1 or scope 2)
Calculating upstream emissions of purchased fuels (activity A of table 3.1)

This activity includes the extraction, production, and transportation of fuels consumed by the reporting company.
Companies may use either of the following methods to calculate scope 3 emissions from upstream emissions of
purchased fuels:
•• Supplier-specific method, which involves collecting data from fuel providers on upstream emissions (extraction,
production and transportation) of fuel consumed by the reporting company
•• Average-data method, which involves estimating emissions by using secondary (e.g., industry average) emission
factors for upstream emissions per unit of consumption (e.g., kg CO2e/kWh).


Companies should collect data on:
•• Quantities and types of fuel consumed.

To calculate emissions from this activity, companies should use life cycle emission factors that exclude emissions from
combustion, since emissions from combustion are accounted for in scope 1 (in the case of fossil fuels) or in a separate
memo item (in the case of direct CO2 emissions from combustion of biomass or biofuels).
If using the supplier-specific method, companies should use fuel-provider-specific emission factors for extraction,
production, and transportation of fuels per unit of fuel consumed (e.g., kg CO2e/kWh), by fuel type and country/region.
If using the average-data method, companies should use average emission factors for upstream emissions per unit of
consumption (e.g., kg CO2e/kWh).

Companies may obtain data by:
•• Reference to their scope 1 GHG inventory, including quantities, sources and types of fuels consumed
•• Collecting data from their fuel procurement departments
•• If necessary, collecting data from fuel suppliers
•• Reference to life cycle databases.
A list of third-party databases is on the GHG Protocol website (http://www.ghgprotocol.org/Third-Party-Databases).

Additional databases may be added periodically, so continue to check the website.
Some sources of emission factors may provide upstream emissions of purchased fuels, excluding emissions from
combustion. If this is not the case, companies should determine upstream emissions from purchased fuels (excluding
emissions from combustion) using the following formula.
Calculation formula [3.1] Upstream emissions of purchased fuels
Upstream CO2e emissions of purchased fuels (extraction, production, and transportation of fuels
consumed by the reporting company) =
sum across each fuel type consumed:

∑ (fuel consumed (e.g., kWh) × upstream fuel emission factor (kg CO2e)/kWh))
where:
upstream fuel emission factor = life cycle emission factor – combustion emission factor.

If possible, the combustion and life cycle emission factors should be from the same temporal, technical, and geographic
representativeness (see table 7.6 of the Scope 3 Standard).
Calculating upstream emissions of purchased electricity (activity B of table 3.1)

This activity includes the extraction, production, and transportation of fuels consumed in the generation of electricity,
steam, heating, and cooling that is consumed by the reporting company. Companies may use either of the following
methods to calculate scope 3 emissions from upstream emissions of purchased electricity:
•• Supplier-specific method, which involves collecting data from electricity providers on upstream emissions
(extraction, production, and transportation) of electricity consumed by the reporting company
•• Average-data method, which involves estimating emissions by using secondary (e.g., industry average) emission
factors for upstream emissions per unit of consumption (e.g., kg CO2e/kWh).

•• Total quantities of electricity, steam, heating, and cooling purchased and consumed per unit of consumption (e.g.,
MWh), broken down by supplier, grid region, or country.

To calculate emissions from this activity, companies should use life cycle emission factors that exclude emissions from
combustion, since emissions from combustion are accounted for in scope 2 (in the case of electricity).
Companies should select an emission factor using one of the following approaches:
•• Utility-specific emission factors for extraction, production and transportation of fuels consumed per MWh of
electricity, steam, heating, or cooling generated.
If data for the above is not available or applicable, companies should use the following approach:
Average-data method
•• Grid-region, country, or regional emission factors for extraction, production, and transportation of fuels per unit of
consumption (e.g., kg CO2e/kWh) of electricity, steam, heating, or cooling generated.
Companies should ensure that emission factors used to calculate upstream emissions of purchased electricity do not
include emissions from combustion because emissions from combustion to generate electricity are accounted for in
scope 2 (see figure 3.1).

1. wheat
1 2 3
2. tree
3. mountains
1. wheat
1 2 3
4. glass bottle 2. tree
5. plastic bottle 3. mountains
6. aluminium can
7. factory 4. glass bottle
8. lorry 5. plastic bottle
9. cloud 6. aluminium can
10. recycling bin
11. recycling bin (colours 7. factory
4 5 6
reversed) 8. lorry
12. wind turbines
13. chicken 1
9. cloud 2 3
1. wheat
14. cow 1 10. recycling bin 2. tree
3. mountains
15. cow 2 11. recycling bin (colours 4. glass bottle
16. shop
Figure [3.1] Energy emission
4 factors to use
5 for different activities within scope 3 category 3
17. factory6 showing carbon
emissions (carbon
reversed)
12. wind turbines
5. plastic bottle
6. aluminium can
7. factory
emissions are shown in 13. chicken 8. lorry
orange)
14. cow 1 9. cloud
10. recycling bin
7 8 9
15. cow 2 11. recycling bin (colours
16. shop reversed)
Energy life cycle stages

4 5 6
17. factory showing carbon 12. wind turbines
13. chicken
emissions (carbon 14. cow 1
emissions are shown in 15. cow 2
orange) 16. shop
emissions (carbon
7 8 9 orange)
10 11 12
7 8 9
Upstream activities
(Extraction, Processing & Transport)
13 14 15
Combustion
10 11 12
10 11 12
Combustion emission Use for:

factor Scopes 1 & 2
16 17
13 14 15
13 14 15
Use for:
Scope 3, category 3
Life cycle emission factor 16 17 activities A & B (upstream
excluding combustion emissions from purchased
fuels and electricity)
16 17
Use for:
- Scope 3, category 3
activity C (T&D losses)
Life cycle emission
factor - Scope 3, category 3
activity D (generation
of purchased electricity
sold to end users)
- All other scope 3
categories

Companies should disaggregate the total amount of electricity, steam, heating, or cooling purchased, by characteristics
such as supplier, grid region, or country. Energy consumption data should then be multiplied by representative emission
factors (e.g., supplier or grid region) to calculate emissions.
•• Reference to their scope 2 GHG inventories, including quantity and sources of electricity, steam, heat, and cooling
consumption and the grid mix where the electricity was consumed
•• National statistics published by government agencies
•• Government agency energy management departments
•• If necessary, energy suppliers or generators.
•• Supplier developed emission factors for life cycle of fuels

•• Life cycle databases – excluding emissions from fuel combusted to generate electricity and transmission and
distribution (T&D) losses.

The combustion and life cycle emission factors should be from the same temporal, technical, and geographic
representativeness (see table 7.6 of the Scope 3 Standard).
Scope 2 includes emissions from the generation of purchased electricity, steam, heating, and cooling consumed by the
reporting company. In some regions, electricity emission factors include life cycle activities related to electricity, such
as transmission and distribution of electricity, or extraction, processing and transportation of fuels used to generate
electricity. Non-generation activities related to electricity are accounted for in scope 3, category 3 (Fuel- and energy-
related activities not included in scope 1 or scope 2), rather than in scope 2. As a result, companies should seek (and
emission factor developers should provide) transparent, disaggregated electricity emission factors that allow separate
accounting of emissions from electricity generation in scope 2 and non-generation activities related to electricity in
scope 3. Proper accounting creates consistency in scope 2 accounting and reporting among companies and avoids
double counting of the same emission within scope 2 by more than one company. See figure 7.2 in the Scope 3 Standard
for more information on different types of electricity emission factors.
Calculation formula [3.2] Upstream emissions of purchased electricity
Upstream CO2e emissions of purchased electricity

(Extraction, production, and transportation of fuels consumed in the generation of electricity, steam,
heating, and cooling that is consumed by the reporting company) =
sum across suppliers, regions, or countries:

∑ (electricity consumed (kWh) × upstream electricity emission factor (kgCO2e)/kWh))
+ (steam consumed (kWh) × upstream steam emission factor (kg CO2e)/kWh))
+ (heating consumed (kWh) × upstream heating emission factor (kg CO2e)/kWh))
+ (cooling consumed (kWh) × upstream cooling emission factor (kg CO2e)/kWh))
where:
upstream emission factor = life cycle emission factor – combustion emissions factor – T&D losses
Note: T&D losses need to be subtracted only if they are included in the life cycle emission factor.
Companies should check the emission factor to establish whether or not T&D losses have been taken into account.
Calculating emissions from transmission and distribution losses (activity C in table 3.1)
This activity includes the lifecycle emissions of electricity, steam, heating, and cooling that is consumed (i.e., lost) in a
transmission and distribution (T&D) system.
Companies may use the following methods to calculate scope 3 emissions from T&D losses:
•• Supplier-specific method, which involves collecting data from electricity providers on T&D loss rates of grids where
electricity is consumed by the reporting company
•• Average-data method, which involves estimating emissions by using average T&D loss rates (e.g., national, regional,
or global averages, depending on data availability).


•• Electricity, steam, heating, and cooling per unit of consumption (e.g., MWh), broken down by grid region or country.

Companies should collect combustion emission factors for electricity, steam, heating, and cooling, and also use the
approaches below to collect data on T&D loss rates.
•• Utility-specific T&D loss rate (percent), specific to the grid where energy is generated and consumed.
If data for the above is not available or applicable, the following approach should be used:
Average-data method
•• Country average T&D loss rate (percent)
•• Regional average T&D loss rate (percent)
•• Global average T&D loss rate (percent)
Data Collection Guidance

A World Bank database provides T&D loss rates by country (http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/EG.ELC.LOSS.
ZS?order=wbapi_data_value_2009+wbapi_data_value+wbapi_data_value-last&sort=desc).
Calculation formula [3.3] Transmission and distribution losses
CO2e emissions from energy (generation of electricity, steam, heating,

and cooling that is consumed (i.e., lost) in a T&D system) =
sum across suppliers, regions, or countries:

∑ (electricity consumed (kWh) × electricity life cycle emission factor ((kg CO2e)/kWh)
× T&D loss rate (%))
+ (steam consumed (kWh) × steam life cycle emission factor ((kg CO2e)/kWh) × T&D loss rate (%))
+ (heating consumed (kWh) × heating life cycle emission factor ((kg CO2e)/kWh) × T&D loss rate (%))
+ (cooling consumed (kWh) × cooling life cycle emission factor ((kg CO2e)/kWh) × T&D loss rate (%))

Example [3.1] Calculating upstream emissions of purchased electricity
Company A operates data center services in 10 countries. It purchases electricity, and in some countries, district heating,
to run its data centers (district heating is a centrally operated heating system that services entire cities or other large
areas). It is able to collect primary data on all electricity purchased through an energy tracking system, and uses an
average-data method for relevant emission factors.
Note that this is an example for category 3 as a whole. As Company A does not sell purchased electricity, it does not
have any emissions associated with category 3 activity D (life cycle emissions of power that is purchased and sold).
Country Electricity purchased (kWh) District heating purchased (kWh)
Australia 500,000 N/A
Canada 600,000 50,000
India 400,000 N/A
United States 5,500,000 N/A
Turkey 200,000 N/A
Note: the activity data are illustrative only, and do not refer to actual data.
Company A sources emission factors for extraction-, production-, and transportation-related emissions of fuels for
producing electricity/heating, as well as T&D losses:
Country Upstream emission Electricity/heat T&D loss rate Upstream emission

factor of purchased combustion emis- (percent) factor of purchased
electricity (kg sion factor (kg heating (kg CO2e/
CO2e/kWh) CO2e/kWh) kWh)
Australia 0.12 0.8 (electricity) 10 (electricity) N/A
Canada 0.10 0.4 (electricity) 13 (electricity) 0.05

0.15 (heat) 5 (heat)
India 0.15 0.8 (electricity) 15 (electricity) N/A
United States 0.10 0.5 (electricity) 10 (electricity) N/A
Turkey 0.05 0.4 (electricity) 12 (electricity) N/A
Note: the emissions factors are illustrative only, and do not refer to actual data.

Example [3.1] Calculating upstream emissions of purchased electricity (continued)
upstream emissions from purchased electricity (category 3, activity B):

= (500,000 × 0.12) + (600,000 × 0.1) + (400,000 × 0.15) + (5,500,000 × 0.1) + (200,000 × 0.05)
= 740,000 kg CO2e
life cycle emissions from transmission and distribution losses (category 3, activity C):
= (500,000 × 0.8 × 0.1) + (600,000 × 0.4 × 0.13) + (50,000 × 0.15 × 0.05) + (400,000 × 0.8 × 0.15) + (5,500,000 × 0.5 ×
0.1) + (200,000 × 0.4 × 0.12)
= 404,175 kg CO2e
upstream emissions from purchased heating (category 3, activity B):

= 50,000 × 0.05
= 2,500 kg CO2e
total emissions from upstream purchased electricity and heat including transmission
and distribution losses is calculated as follows:
= 740,000 + 404,175 + 2,500

= 1,146,675 kg CO2e
Calculating life cycle emissions from power that is purchased and sold (activity D in table 3.1)
This activity includes the generation of electricity, steam, heating, and cooling that is purchased by the reporting
company and sold to end users (reported by a utility company or energy retailer).
Companies may use the following methods to calculate scope 3 emissions from power that is purchased and sold:
•• Supplier-specific method, which involves collecting emissions data from power generators
•• Average-data method, which involves estimating emissions by using grid average emission rates.

•• Quantities and specific source (e.g., generation unit) of electricity purchased and re-sold.

Companies should collect data using one of the following approaches:

•• Specific CO2, CH4, and N2O emissions data for generation units from which purchased power is produced.
If data for the above is not available or applicable, the following approach may be used.
Average-data method
•• Grid average emission factor for the origin of purchased power.
Calculation formula [3.4] Emissions from power that is purchased and sold
CO2e emissions from power that is purchased and sold

(generation of electricity, steam, heating, and cooling that is purchased by the reporting
company and sold to end users (reported by utility company or energy retailer)) =
sum across suppliers, regions or countries:
∑ (electricity purchased for resale (kWh) × electricity life cycle emission factor (kg CO2e)/kWh))
+ (steam purchased for resale (kWh) × steam life cycle emission factor (kg CO2e)/kWh))
+ (heating purchased for resale (kWh) × heating life cycle emission factor (kg CO2e)/kWh))
+ (cooling purchased for resale (kWh) × cooling life cycle emission factor (kg CO2e)/kWh))

4
Category 4:
Upstream Transportation
and Distribution
Category 4 includes emissions from:
•• Transportation and distribution of products purchased in the reporting year, between a company’s tier 1 suppliers3
and its own operations in vehicles not owned or operated by the reporting company (including multi-modal shipping
where multiple carriers are involved in the delivery of a product, but excluding fuel and energy products)
•• Third-party transportation and distribution services purchased by the reporting company in the reporting year
(either directly or through an intermediary), including inbound logistics, outbound logistics (e.g., of sold products),
and third-party transportation and distribution between a company’s own facilities.
Emissions may arise from the following transportation and distribution activities throughout the value chain:
•• Air transport
•• Rail transport
•• Road transport
•• Marine transport
•• Storage of purchased products in warehouses, distribution centers, and retail facilities.
Outbound logistics services purchased by the reporting company are categorized as upstream because they are a
purchased service. Emissions from transportation and distribution of purchased products upstream of the reporting
company’s tier 1 suppliers (e.g., transportation between a company’s tier 2 and tier 1 suppliers) are accounted for in
scope 3, category 1 (Purchased goods and services). Table 4.1 shows the scope and category of emissions where each
type of transportation and distribution activity should be accounted for.
3 Tier 1 suppliers are companies with which the reporting company has a purchase order for goods or services (e.g., materials, parts, components, etc.).
Tier 2 suppliers are companies with which tier 1 suppliers have a purchase order for goods and services (see figure 7.3 in the Scope 3 Standard).

CATEGORY 4 Upstream Transportation and Distribution
A reporting company’s scope 3 emissions from upstream transportation and distribution include the scope 1 and scope
2 emissions of third-party transportation companies (allocated to the reporting company).
Table [4.1] Accounting for emissions from transportation and distribution activities in the value chain
Transportation and distribution activity Scope and category of emissions

in the value chain
Transportation and distribution in vehicles and facilities Scope 1 (for fuel use) or scope 2
owned or controlled by the reporting company (for electricity use)
Transportation and distribution in vehicles and facilities Scope 3, category 8 (Upstream leased assets)
leased by and operated by the reporting company (and not
already included in scope 1 or scope 2)
Transportation and distribution of purchased products, Scope 3, category 1 (Purchased goods and services),
upstream of the reporting company’s tier 1 suppliers since emissions from transportation are already includ-
(e.g., transportation between a company’s tier 2 and tier 1 ed in the cradle-to-gate emissions of purchased prod-
suppliers) ucts. These emissions are not required to be reported
separately from category 1.
Production of vehicles (e.g., ships, trucks, planes) purchased Account for the upstream (i.e., cradle-to-gate) emis-
or acquired by the reporting company sions associated with manufacturing vehicles in Scope
3, category 2 (Capital goods)
Transportation of fuels and energy consumed by the Scope 3, category 3 (Fuel- and energy-related emis-
reporting company sions not included in scope 1 or scope 2)
Transportation and distribution of products purchased by Scope 3, category 4 (Upstream transportation and
the reporting company, between a company’s tier 1 suppliers distribution)
and its own operations (in vehicles and facilities not owned or
controlled by the reporting company)
Transportation and distribution services purchased by the Scope 3, category 9 (Downstream transportation and
reporting company in the reporting year (either directly distribution)
or through an intermediary), including inbound logistics,
outbound logistics (e.g., of sold products), and transporta-
tion and distribution between a company’s own facilities
(in vehicles and facilities not owned or controlled by the
reporting company)
This section provides calculation guidance first from transportation and then from distribution (e.g., warehouses,
distribution centers).
Calculating emissions from transportation

Companies may use the following methods to calculate scope 3 emissions from transportation:

•• Fuel-based method, which involves determining the amount of fuel consumed (i.e., scope 1 and scope 2 emissions
of transport providers) and applying the appropriate emission factor for that fuel
•• Distance-based method, which involves determining the mass, distance, and mode of each shipment, then applying
the appropriate mass-distance emission factor for the vehicle used
•• Spend-based method, which involves determining the amount of money spent on each mode of business travel
transport and applying secondary (EEIO) emission factors.
The GHG Protocol has a calculation tool for transportation that uses a combination of the fuel-based and distance-
based methods. This combination is used because CO2 is better estimated from fuel use, and CH4 and N2O are better
estimated from distance travelled. The tool uses fuel-efficiency ratios to convert either type of activity data (fuel or
distance) supplied by the user into either fuel or distance depending on the GHG being calculated. The calculation tool
(“GHG emissions from transport or mobile sources”) is available at the GHG Protocol website: http://www.ghgprotocol.
org/calculation-tools/all-tools).
It is important to note that the calculation tool was originally developed to calculate an organization’s scope 1 emissions
(i.e., emissions from vehicles that the organization owns and operates). Therefore, the emission factors that pre-
populate the calculation tool are combustion emission factors. When calculating emissions from transportation in
scope 3, companies should use life cycle emission factors (see “Energy emission factors in scope 3 accounting” in the
Introduction for more information on which emission factors to use). If using the GHG Protocol transport calculation
tool to calculate scope 3 emissions, companies should customize the tool by entering life cycle emission factors.
Figure [4.1] Decision tree for selecting a calculation method for emissions from upstream transportation
Does transportation
of purchased
goods contribute
significantly to
scope 3 emissions Is data available If multiple products
(based on screening) on the types are shipped on
or is engagement and quantities/ individual vehicles, is Use fuel-based
yes yes yes method
with transportation cost of fuels data available on the
providers otherwise consumed during quantities of various
relevant to the transportation? products shipped?
business goals?
no no no
Is data available on the mass, distance

Use distance-
and mode of each shipment delivered yes
based method
by transportation providers?
no
Use spend-based
data method

Fuel-based method (transportation)

The fuel-based method should be used when companies can obtain data for fuel use from transport providers (and, if
applicable, refrigerant leakage due to refrigeration of products) from vehicle fleets (e.g., trucks, trains, planes, vessels).
Companies should also take into account any additional energy used and account for fugitive emissions (e.g., refrigerant
loss or air-conditioning). Companies may optionally calculate any emissions from unladen backhaul (i.e., the return
journey of the empty vehicle).
Where fuel use data is unavailable, the company may derive fuel use by using the:
•• Amount spent on fuels and the average price of fuels

•• Distance travelled and the vehicle’s fuel efficiency
•• Amount spent on transportation services, fuel cost share (as percent of total cost of transportation services) and the
average price of fuels.
For calculating CO2, the fuel-based method is more accurate than the distance-based method because fuel
consumption is directly related to emissions.
The fuel-based method is best applied if the vehicle exclusively ships the reporting company’s purchased goods (i.e.,
exclusive use or truckload shipping, rather than less-than-truckload (LTL) shipping). Otherwise, emissions should be
allocated between goods shipped for the reporting company and goods shipped for other companies. See chapter 8 of
the Scope 3 Standard for further guidance on allocating emissions.
Companies should allocate emissions based on the following default limiting factors for each transportation mode,
unless more accurate data is available to show that another factor is the limiting factor:
•• Road transport: Truck capacity is typically limited by mass, so mass-based allocation should be used
•• Marine transport: Vessel capacity is typically limited by volume, so volume-based allocation should be used
•• Air transport: Aircraft capacity is typically limited by mass, so mass-based allocation should be used
•• Rail transport: Rail capacity is typically limited by mass, so mass-based allocation should be used.
If there are multiple shipments on a transport leg, distance should also be used as a means for allocation. (For more
information, see the Deutsche Post DHL example in this section.)
If data required for allocation is not available or reliable due to the variety of goods transported in one vehicle at the
same time, the distance-based method should be used to calculate scope 3 emissions.

•• Quantities of fuel (e.g., diesel, gasoline, jet fuel, biofuels) consumed

•• Amount spent on fuels
•• Quantities of fugitive emissions (e.g., from air conditioning and refrigeration).
If applicable:
•• Distance travelled
•• Average fuel efficiency of the vehicle, expressed in units of liters of fuel consumed per tonne per kilometer
transported
•• Cost of fuels
•• Volume and/or mass of purchased goods in the vehicle
•• Information on whether the products are refrigerated in transport.


Companies should collect:
•• Fuel emission factors, expressed in units of emissions per unit of energy consumed (e.g., kg CO2e/liters, CO2e/Btu)
•• For electric vehicles (if applicable), electricity emission factors, expressed in units of emissions per unit of electricity
consumed (e.g., kg CO2e/kWh)
•• Fugitive emission factors, expressed in units of emissions per unit (e.g., kg CO2e/kg refrigerant leakage)
Emission factors should at a minimum include emissions from fuel combustion, and should, where possible, include
cradle-to-gate emissions of the fuel (i.e., from extraction, processing, and transportation to the point of use).
Note: For air travel emission factors, multipliers or other corrections to account for radiative forcing may be applied to
the GWP of emissions arising from aircraft transport. If applied, companies should disclose the specific factor used.

•• Aggregated fuel receipts

•• Purchase records (provided by transportation providers)
•• Internal transport management systems.
•• Transportation carriers
•• The GHG Protocol website (http://www.ghgprotocol.org/calculation-tools/all-tools and http://www.ghgprotocol.
org/standards/scope-3-standard)
•• Additional sources in table 4.2.

Transportation emissions are calculated by multiplying each fuel/refrigerant type used by a corresponding emission
factor and summing the results as shown in the formula below:
Calculation formula [4.1] Fuel-based method (transportation)
CO2e emissions from transportation =
sum across fuel types:

∑ (quantity of fuel consumed (liters) × emission factor for the fuel (e.g., kg CO2e/liter))
+
sum across grid regions:
∑ (quantity of electricity consumed (kWh) × emission factor for electricity grid (e.g., kg CO2e/kWh))
+
sum across refrigerant and air-conditioning types:
∑ (quantity of refrigerant leakage × global warming potential for the refrigerant (e.g., kg CO2e))
If fuel consumption data is unavailable, companies may use formula 4.2 and/or formula 4.3 to calculate quantities of
fuel consumed.
Calculation formula [4.2] Calculating fuel use from fuel spend
Quantities of fuel consumed (liters) =
∑ ( average fuel price (e.g., $/liter) )

total fuel spend (e.g., $)
Companies should first apportion annual amount spent on fuel to each relevant fuel type. Where the mix of fuels
is unknown, companies may refer to average fuel mix statistics from industry bodies and/or government statistical
publications.
Calculation formula [4.3] Calculating fuel use from distance travelled
Quantities of fuel consumed (liters) =
sum across transport steps:

∑ (total distance travelled (e.g., km) × fuel efficiency of vehicle (e.g., liters/km))
If allocation is needed, companies should calculate the allocated fuel use (for the goods shipped by the reporting
company) using the formula below, then apply formula 4.1 above.

Calculation formula [4.4] Allocating fuel use
Allocated fuel use =
= total fuel consumed (liters) x ( mass/volume of company’s goods

mass/volume of goods transported )
Companies may optionally substitute mass of goods by volume with dimensional mass or chargeable mass
where data is available to prove that the alternative method is more suitable.
Dimensional mass is a calculated mass that takes into account packaging volume as well as the actual mass of
the goods.
Chargeable mass is the higher value of either the actual or the dimensional mass of the goods.
Companies may optionally calculate emissions from unladen backhaul (i.e., the return journey of the empty vehicle)
using the following formula:
Calculation formula [4.5] Calculating emissions from unladen backhaul
CO2e emissions from unladen backhaul =
for each fuel type:

∑ (quantity of fuel consumed from backhaul × emission factor for the fuel (e.g., kg CO2e/liter))
where:
quantity of fuel consumed from backhaul
= average efficiency of vehicles unladed (l/km) × total distance travelled unladen.

Example [4.1] Calculating emissions from upstream transportation using the fuel-based method
Company A makes bread in Italy. Suppliers B, C, and D supply refrigerated raw materials for Company A’s operations.
Company A collects activity data from its suppliers on the amount of fuel used and refrigerant leakage incurred by the
transport of raw materials to Company A’s facility. All trucks transport goods exclusively for Company A. Company A
collects emission factors for the fuel type used by suppliers and for refrigerant leakage.
The situation is summarized in the table below:
Supplier Fuel consumed (liters) or Fuel/refrigerant Emission factor (kg CO2e/

refrigerant leakage (kg) type liter for fuels; Global warming
potential for refrigerants)
B 50,000 Diesel 3
C 80,000 Diesel 3
D 90,000 Diesel 3
D 50 Refrigerant R410a 2,000

Note: The activity data and emissions factors are illustrative only, and do not represent actual data.
emissions from diesel is calculated as:

∑ (quantity of fuel consumed (liters) × emission factor for the fuel (kg CO2e/liter))
= (50,000 × 3) + (80,000 × 3) + (90,000 × 3) = 660,000 kg CO2e
emissions from refrigerant leakage is calculated as:

∑ (quantity of refrigerant leakage (kg) × emission factor for refrigerant (kg CO2e/kg))
= 50 × 2,000 = 100,000 kg CO2e
total emissions is calculated as follows:

emissions from fuels + emissions from refrigerant leakage
= 660,000 + 100,000 = 760,000 kg CO2e

Distance-based method (transportation)

In this method, distance is multiplied by mass or volume of goods transported and relevant emission factors that
incorporate average fuel consumption, average utilization, average size and mass or volume of the goods and the
vehicles, and their associated GHG emissions.
Emission factors for this method are typically represented in grams or kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent per
tonne-kilometer or TEU-kilometer. Tonne-kilometer is a unit of measure representing one tonne of goods transported
over 1 kilometer. TEU-kilometer is a unit of measure representing one twenty-foot container equivalent of goods
transported over 1 kilometer.
The distance-based method is especially useful for an organization that does not have access to fuel or mileage records
from the transport vehicles, or has shipments smaller than those that would consume an entire vehicle or vessel.
If sub-contractor fuel data cannot be easily obtained in order to use the fuel-based method, then the distance-based
method should be used. Distance can be tracked using internal management systems or, if these are unavailable, online
maps. However, accuracy is generally lower than the fuel-based method as assumptions are made about the average
fuel consumption, mass or volume of goods, and loading of vehicles.

Companies should collect data on the distance travelled by transportation suppliers. This data may be obtained by:
•• Mass or volume of the products sold

•• Actual distances provided by transportation supplier (if actual distance is unavailable, companies may use the
shortest theoretical distance)
•• Online maps or calculators
•• Published port-to-port travel distances.
The actual distances should be used when available, and each leg of the transportation supply chain should be
collected separately.

•• Emission factor by mode of transport (e.g., rail, air, road) or vehicle types (e.g., articulated lorry, container vessel),
expressed in units of greenhouse gas (CO2, CH4, N2O, or CO2e) per unit of mass (e.g., tonne) or volume (e.g., TEU)
travelled (e.g., kilometer).
Common forms of emission factors are kg CO2e/tonne/km for road transport or kg CO2e/TEU/km for sea transport.


Companies may obtain activity data from:
•• Purchase orders
•• Specific carrier or mode operator
•• Internal management systems
•• Online maps and calculators.
Companies may obtain emission factors from:
•• Transportation carriers
•• The GHG Protocol website (http://www.ghgprotocol.org/calculation-tools/all-tools and http://www.ghgprotocol.
•• Additional sources in table 4.2.
When collecting emission factors, it is important to note that they may be vehicle, regional, or country specific.
Calculation resources include:
•• GHG Protocol Calculation Tool, “Mobile Combustion GHG Emissions Calculation Tool. Version 2.0. June 2009,”
developed by World Resources Institute, available at http://www.ghgprotocol.org/calculation-tools/all-tools.
•• U.S. EPA Climate Leaders GHG Inventory Protocol, “Optional Emissions from Commuting, Business Travel and
Product Transport,” available at: http://www.epa.gov/stateply/documents/resources/commute_travel_product.pdf
•• UK Defra, “Guidance on Measuring and Reporting GHG Emissions from Freight Transport Operations,” available at
http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/economy/business-efficiency/reporting/
•• UK Defra GHG Conversion Factors, developed by the United Kingdom Department of Environment, Food and Rural
Affairs (Defra), available at http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/economy/business-efficiency/reporting/

Table [4.2] Data collection guidance for the distance-based method
Mode Vehicle Unit Primary Secondary Comments Assumptions

data data sources
sources
Freighter kg CO2e/t-km ICAO Carrier can

short-haul UK Defra provide
Environmental re- a) shipment spe-
Freighter kg CO2e/t-km ports of air carriers cific emissions
long- haul LCA databases b) trade-line
EEIO databases emissions based
Belly-freight kg CO2e/t-km on existing net-
short-haul work design and
historical plane
air Carrier consumption
Belly-freight kg CO2e/t-km
long-haul c) emissions per
type of plane
Passenger kg CO2e/t-km
plane short-
haul
Passenger kg CO2e/t-km
plane long-haul
Container ves- kg CO2e/TEU-km IMO Carrier can Default 1 TEU

sel <2000 TEU CCWG provide = 10 t
LCA databases a) shipment spe-
Container ves- kg CO2e/TEU-km EEIO databases cific emissions
sel 2000-5000 b) trade-line
TEU emissions based
on existing net-
Container ves- kg CO2e/TEU-km work design and
sel 5000-8000 historical vessel
Ship TEU Carrier consumption
c) emissions per
Container ves- kg CO2e/TEU-km type of vessel
sel >8000TEU
Bulk vessel kg CO2e/t-km

<20000 dwt
Bulk vessel kg CO2e/t-km

>20000 dwt

Table [4.2] Data collection guidance for the distance-based method (continued)
Mode Vehicle Unit Primary Secondary Comments Assumptions

data data sources
sources
Electric kg CO2e/t-km EcoTransIT Operator can

LCA databases provide ship-
Diesel kg CO2e/t-km EEIO databases ment specific
Rail Operator emissions on
trade-line
historical
emissions
Van <3.5t kg CO2e/t-km EcoTransIT

Trucker can
NTM
provide
Truck 3.5-7.5t kg CO2e/t-km TREMOVE (EU)
a) shipment spe-
EPA Smart Way
cific emissions
Truck 7.5t-16t kg CO2e/t-km (US)
b) trade-line
Handbook Emis-
emissions based Default 1 TEU
Truck Truck 16t-32t kg CO2e/t-km Operator sion Factors for
on existing net- = 10 t
single axle kg CO2e/TEU-km Road Transport
work design and
(HBEFA)
historical fleet
Truck >32t trac- kg CO2e/t-km LCA databases
consumption
tor and trailer kg CO2e/TEU-km EEIO databases
c) emissions per
or flatbed type of truck
Dry warehouse kg CO2e/pal- LCA databases

let-day EEIO databases
kg CO2e/TEU-day
kg CO2e/cbm-
Operator may
day
also have the
kg CO2e/kg-day 1 pallet =
emission factor
Warehouse Operator 1 square meter
based on the
Refrigerated kg CO2e/pal- of floor space
warehouse
warehouse let-day
surface
kg CO2e/TEU-day
kg CO2e/cbm-
day
kg CO2e/kg-day
Terminal Terminal kg CO2 e/t Terminal LCA databases

1 TEU = 10 t
kg CO2e/TEU owner EEIO databases
Source: Carbon Trust
Notes:
ICAO = International Civil Aviation Organization
IMO = International Maritime Organization
CCWG = Clean Cargo Working Group
TEU = twenty-foot equivalent units, a measure of the size of shipping containers. One standard-size container is 1 TEU.

To calculate emissions, companies should multiply the quantity of goods purchased in mass (including packaging and
pallets) or volume by the distance travelled in the transport leg and then multiply that by an emission factor specific to
the transport leg (usually a transport mode- or vehicle type- specific emission factor).
Because each transport mode or vehicle type has a different emission factor, the transport legs should be calculated
separately and total emissions aggregated.
The following formula can be applied to all modes of transport and/or vehicle types to calculate emissions from
transportation:
Calculation formula [4.6] Distance-based method (transportation)
sum across transport modes and/or vehicle types:

= ∑ (mass of goods purchased (tonnes or volume ) × distance travelled in transport leg (km)
× emission factor of transport mode or vehicle type (kg CO2e/tonne or volume/km))

Example [4.2] Calculating emissions from upstream transportation using the distance-based method
Company A makes chairs and sources basic materials from Suppliers B, C, and D. Company A calculates total distance
from the transport of the basic goods and obtains information from suppliers on vehicle type used for transport.
Company A obtains relevant emission factors from lifecycle databases. The information is summarized below:
Supplier Mass of transport- Distance trans- Transport mode Emission factor

ed goods (tonnes) ported (km) or vehicle type (kg CO2e/TEU-km)
B 2 2,000 Truck 0.2

(rigid, >3.5-7.5t)
C 1 3,000 Air (long haul) 1.0
D 6 4,000 Container 0.05

2,000–2,999 TEU
Note: the activity data and emission factors in this example are for illustrative purposes only.
Emissions from road transport:

= ∑ (mass of goods purchased (tonnes) × distance travelled in transport leg
× emission factor of transport mode or vehicle type (kg CO2e/tonne-km))
= 2 × 2,000 × 0.2
= 800 kg CO2e
emissions from air transport:

= ∑ (quantity of goods purchased (tonnes) x distance travelled in transport leg
x emission factor of transport mode or vehicle type (kg CO2e/tonne-km))
= 1 × 3,000 × 1
= 3,000 kg CO2e
emissions from sea transport:

= ∑ (quantity of goods purchased (tonnes) x distance travelled in transport leg
x emission factor of transport mode or vehicle type (kg CO2e/tonne-km))
= 6 × 4,000 × 0.05
= 1,200 kg CO2e
total emissions form transport (upstream) is calculated as:

= emissions from road transport + emissions from air transport + emissions from sea transport
= 800 + 3,000 + 1,200
= 5,000 kg CO2e

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Example [4.3] Allocating emissions from transportation
no
3 (Deutsche Post DHL)
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Deutsche Post DHL, a global mail and logistics company,

01
set a CO2 efficiency target. The choice of appropriate allocation
41
factors is a critical decision point to ensure fair allocation of emissions. The following example demonstrates a typical
situation, in which different allocation factors may lead to completely different results.
This example is about a typical delivery run

3
where a truck needs to stop at different locations to pick up or drop off
1
shipments. In this
71 example, 24-tonne shipment 1 needs to be transported from a home station (A) to a customer (B). At
customer (B), shipment 1 is unloaded and shipments 2 and 3 are picked up. Shipment 2 is addressed to customer (C) and
shipment 3 needs to be transported back to the home station (A).
6
Data were not available on the1 type and quantity of fuel consumed during transportation, but data on the mass,
distance, and mode of shipment was available. Therefore the distance-based method was used. It was calculated that
31.5 kg CO2 was emitted during this delivery run. How can we allocate these emissions to the shipments?
I. Allocation using driven-tonne kilometers
One option for allocation is to use driven-tonne kilometers (tkm) as an allocation factor. For calculating the tonne-
kilometers, the weight of each shipment is multiplied by the distance driven. Then the total amount of CO2 emissions is
allocated to the shipments on the basis of their share in the driven tonne- kilometers.
Shipment 1 Shipment 2 Shipment 3 Total
Driven tkm 240 tkm 150 tkm 250 tkm 640 tkm
Total emissions 31.5 kg CO2
Allocation factor 0.049 kg CO2 per tkm
Shipment emissions 11.8 kg CO2 7.4 kg CO2 12.3 kg CO2 31.5 kg CO2

Example [4.3] Allocating emissions from transportation (Deutsche Post DHL) (continued)
Surprisingly, shipment 2, which causes the longest transportation leg (15 km), receives minimum emissions and shipment
3 is “punished” for being transported jointly with shipment 2 via customer (C). The next option shows how such
downsides can be mitigated.
II. Allocation using shortest theoretical distance
The second option aims at allocating CO2 emissions using the shortest theoretical distance between the origin and
destination of each shipment (also known as the Great Circle Distance) as an allocation factor. The shipments’ CO2
allocation is independent from the actual driven distance because that is of no relevance to the customer. As in the
example above, tonne-kilometers are calculated – this time using the shortest theoretical distance between a shipment’s
origin and destination – before performing the allocation.
Shipment 1 Shipment 2 Shipment 3 Total
Tkm based on GCD 240 tkm 150 tkm 100 tkm 490 tkm
Total emissions 31.5 kg CO2
Allocation factor 0.064 kg CO2 per tkm
Shipment emissions 15.43 kg CO2 9.64 kg CO2 6.43 kg CO2 31.5 kg CO2
Because the allocation of emissions for individual items is based only on the characteristics of the individual shipments,
this option provides a fair allocation method.
Although there are many more options to perform the allocation to shipments in freight transport, this example
illustrates pitfalls a user can encounter by picking an allocation factor.

Spend-based method
If the fuel-based method and distance method cannot be applied (e.g., due to data limitations), companies should
apply the spend-based method to calculate the emissions from transportation. In this method, the amount spent on
transportation by type is multiplied by the relevant EEIO emission factors. Refer to “Environmentally-extended input
output (EEIO) data” in the Introduction for guidance on EEIO data. Companies may determine the amount spent on
transportation through bills, invoice payments, or financial accounting systems. The spend-based method is effective
for screening purposes; however it has high levels of uncertainty and the fuel-based and distance-based methods are
recommended for accounting for transportation emissions.

•• Amount spent on transportation by type (e.g. road, rail, air, barge), using market values (e.g., dollars).

•• Cradle-to-gate emission factors of the transportation type per unit of economic value (e.g., kg CO2e/$)
•• Where applicable, inflation data to convert market values between the year of the EEIO emissions factors and the
year of the activity data.

•• Internal data systems (e.g., financial accounting systems)

•• Bills
•• Invoices.
•• Environmentally-extended input-output (EEIO) databases. A list of EEIO databases is provided on the GHG Protocol
website (http://www.ghgprotocol.org/Third-Party-Databases). Additional databases may be added periodically, so
continue to check the website.
Calculation formula [4.7] Spend-based method (transportation)
sum across transport modes and/or vehicle types:

∑ (amount spent on transportation by type ($)
× relevant EEIO emission factors per unit of economic value (kg CO2e/$))

Example [4.4] Calculating emissions from transportation by using the spend-based method
Company A makes televisions and sources basic materials from suppliers B, C, and D. Company A calculates total amount
spent from the transport of the basic goods and obtains information from suppliers on vehicle type used for transport.
Company A obtains relevant emission factors from EEIO databases. The information is summarized in the table below:
Supplier Amount spent ($) Transport mode or vehicle type EEIO emission factor
(kg CO2e/$)
B 20,000 Truck (rigid, >3.5-7.5t) 0.04
C 30,000 Air (long haul) 0.15
D 40,000 Container 2,000–2,999 TEU 0.05

emissions from road transport:

= ∑ (amount spent on transportation leg
× EEIO emission factor of transport mode or vehicle type (kg CO2e/$))
= 20,000 × 0.04 = 800 kg CO2e/$
emissions from air transport:

= ∑ (amount spent on transportation leg × EEIO emission factor of
transport mode or vehicle type (kg CO2e/$))
= 30,000 × 0.15 = 4,500 kg CO2e/$
emissions from sea transport:

= ∑ (amount spent on transport leg
× EEIO emission factor of transport mode or vehicle type (kg CO2e/$))
= 40,000 × 0.05 = 2,000 kg CO2e/$
total emissions from transport (upstream) is calculated as:

= emissions from road transport + emissions from air transport + emissions from sea transport
= 800 + 4,500 + 2,000 = 7,300 kg CO2e/$
Calculating emissions from distribution (upstream)

Companies may use either of two methods to calculate scope 3 emissions from upstream distribution
(e.g. storage facilities):
•• Site-specific method, which involves site-specific fuel, electricity, and fugitive emissions data and applying the
appropriate emission factors
•• Average-data method, which involves estimating emissions for each distribution activity, based on average data
(such as average emissions per pallet or cubic meter stored per day).

Figure 4.2 gives a decision tree for selecting a calculation method for emissions from upstream distribution.
Figure [4.2] Decision tree for selecting a calculation method for emissions from upstream distribution
Does distribution
of purchased goods
contribute significantly
to scope 3 emissions
(based on screening)
or is engagement with Is data available
distribution providers on site-specific fuel,
yes electricity and fugitive yes Use site-specific method
otherwise relevant to the
business goals? emissions?
no no Use average-data method
Site-specific method
This method involves collecting site-specific fuel and energy data from the storage facility (e.g., warehouses,
distribution centres) of individual distribution activities, and multiplying them by appropriate emission factors.
If the storage facility stores goods for companies other than the reporting company, emissions should be allocated to
the reporting company. For more information on allocation, see chapter 8 of the Scope 3 Standard.

•• Site-specific fuel and electricity use

•• Site-specific fugitive emissions (e.g., air conditioning or refrigerant leakage)
•• The average occupancy rate of the storage facility (i.e., average total volume of goods stored).

•• Site or regionally specific emission factors for energy sources (e.g., electricity and fuels) per unit of consumption
(e.g., kg CO2e/kWh for electricity, kg CO2e/liter for diesel)
•• Emission factors of fugitive and process emissions (kg CO2e/kg).


•• Utility bills
•• Purchase records
•• Meter readings
•• Internal IT systems.

•• Company-developed emission factors
Calculation formula [4.8] Site-specific method (distribution)
CO2e emissions from distribution =
for each storage facility:
emissions of storage facility (kg CO2e)

= (fuel consumed (kWh) × fuel emission factor (kg CO2e/kWh))
+ (electricity consumed (kWh) × electricity emission factor (kg CO2e)/kWh)
+ (refrigerant leakage (kg) × refrigerant emission factor (kg CO2e)/kg))
then, allocate emissions based on volume that company’s products take within storage facility:
volume of reporting company’s purchased goods (m3)

allocated emissions of storage facility = ( total volume of goods in storage facility (m3)
)
× emissions of storage facility (kg CO2e)
finally, sum across all storage facilities:

∑ allocated emissions of storage facility
If data are available, companies may optionally allocate emissions based on different storage methods (e.g.,
temperature-controlled storage and ambient storage). This allocation step can be significant within shared storage.
Companies may optionally allocate emissions based on length of time goods spend in storage.
If a company has a large number of distribution channels, sampling may be appropriate (see Appendix A for more
information).

Example [4.5] Calculating emissions from upstream distribution using the site-specific method
Company A’s products are stored at two facilities throughout the reporting year. No chilling or freezing is needed during
storage. Company A collects the data from operators on the amount of fuel and electricity consumed for the reporting
year, as well as the volume of company A’s purchased goods compared to total volume of goods. Company A collects
corresponding emission factors from life cycle databases.
The information is summarized in the table below:
Storage Electricity Electricity Natural Natural gas Volume of Total volume

facility consumed emission gas used emission company of goods in
(kWh) factor (kWh) factor A’s goods storage
(kg CO2e/ (kg CO2e/kWh) (m3) facility (m3)
kWh)
1 10,000 0.8 1,000 0.25 100 400
2 15,000 0.8 2,000 0.25 200 800

emissions from storage facility 1 are calculated as:

((fuel consumed (kWh) × fuel emission factor (kg CO2e)/kWh))
+ (electricity consumed (kWh) × electricity emission factor (kg CO2e)/kWh))
× ( (total volume of goods in storage facility (m )
3 )
= ((10,000×0.8)+(1,000×0.25))×(100/400)
= 2,062.5 kg CO2e
emissions from storage facility 2 are calculated as:

((fuel consumed (kWh) × fuel emission factor (kg CO2e)/kWh))
+ (electricity consumed (kWh) × electricity emission factor (kg CO2e)/kWh))
× ( (total volume of goods in storage facility (m )
3 )
= (15,000 × 0.8) + (2,000 × 0.25)) × (200 / 800)
= 3,125 kg CO2e
total emissions from distribution (upstream) is calculated as follows:

emissions from storage facility 1 + emissions from storage facilities 2
= 2,062.5 + 3,125 = 5,187.5 kg CO2e

Average-data method
Companies should use the average-data method where supply-chain specific data is unavailable. Companies should
collect average emission factors for distribution activities.

Companies should collect data based on throughput:
•• Volume of purchased goods that are stored (e.g., square meters, cubic meters, pallet, TEU) or number of pallets
needed to store purchased goods
•• Average number of days that goods are stored.

Companies should collect data that allows the calculation of emissions per unit, per time period stored. This can be
expressed in several different ways, including:
•• Emission factor per pallet per day stored in facility

•• Emission factor per square meter or cubic meter per day stored in facility
•• Emission factor per TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit) stored in facility.

•• Supplier records
•• Internal management systems.

•• Supplier- or company-developed emission factors
•• Industry associations (for example the U.S. Energy information Administration has developed a dataset on average energy
use by building type. Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey, at http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cbecs/)
•• Academic publications.
Calculation formula [4.9] Average-data method (distribution)
CO2e emissions from distribution =
sum across storage facilities:

∑ (volume of stored goods (m3 or pallet or TEU) × average number of days stored (days)
× emission factor for storage facility (kg CO2e/m3 or pallet or TEU/day))

Example [4.6] Calculating emissions from upstream distribution using the average-data method
Company A is a producer of pasta. Its products are stored at distribution centers and then sent for retail sale in
supermarkets. Company A collects data on the total volume needed to store its goods at storage facilities and the
average number of days its goods are stored. Emission factors are collected from an academic publication. The
information is summarized in the table:
Storage facility Total volume of Average days Emission factor of storage (kg
types stored goods (m3) stored CO2e/m3/day)
Distribution center 4,000 2 0.01
Supermarkets 4,000 2 0.02

the emissions can be calculated as follows:
∑ (volume stored goods (m3) × number of days stored (days)

× emission factor for storage facility (kg CO2e/m3/day))
= (4,000 × 2 × 0.01) + (4,000 × 2 × 0.02) = 80 + 160 = 240 kg CO2e

5
Category 5:
Waste Generated in Operations
C
ategory 5 includes emissions from third-party disposal and treatment of waste
generated in the reporting company’s owned or controlled operations in the
reporting year. This category includes emissions from disposal of both solid
waste and wastewater.
Only waste treatment in facilities owned or operated by third parties is included in scope 3. Waste treatment at facilities
owned or controlled by the reporting company is accounted for in scope 1 and scope 2. Treatment of waste generated
in operations is categorized as an upstream scope 3 category because waste management services are purchased by
the reporting company.
This category includes all future emissions that result from waste generated in the reporting year. (See chapter 5.4 of
the Scope 3 Standard for more information on the time boundary of scope 3 categories.)
Waste treatment activities may include:
•• Disposal in a landfill
•• Disposal in a landfill with landfill-gas-to-energy (LFGTE) – that is, combustion of landfill gas to generate electricity
•• Recovery for recycling
•• Incineration
•• Composting
•• Waste-to-energy (WTE) or energy-from-waste (EfW) – that is, combustion of municipal solid waste (MSW) to generate electricity
•• Wastewater treatment.
A reporting company’s scope 3 emissions from waste generated in operations derive from the scope 1 and scope 2
emissions of solid waste and wastewater management companies. Companies may optionally include emissions from
transportation of waste in vehicles operated by a third party.

CATEGORY 5 Waste Generated in Operations
Calculating emissions from waste generated in operations

Different types of waste generate different types and quantities of greenhouse gases. Depending on the type of waste,
the following greenhouse gases may be generated:
•• CO2 (from degradation of both fossil and biogenic carbon contained in waste)
•• CH4 (principally from decomposition of biogenic materials in landfill or WTE technologies)
•• HFCs (from the disposal of refrigeration and air conditioning units).
Companies may use any one of the following methods to calculate emissions from waste generated in their operations,
but managed by third parties:
•• Supplier-specific method, which involves collecting waste-specific scope 1 and scope 2 emissions data directly
from waste treatment companies (e.g., for incineration, recovery for recycling)
•• Waste-type-specific method, which involves using emission factors for specific waste types and waste treatment
methods
•• Average-data method, which involves estimating emissions based on total waste going to each disposal method
(e.g., landfill) and average emission factors for each disposal method.
To optionally report emissions from the transportation of waste, refer to category 4 (Upstream transportation and
distribution) for calculation methodologies.
Figure 5.2 gives a decision tree for selecting a calculation method for emissions from waste generated in operations.
Figure [5.2] Decision tree for selecting a calculation method for emissions from waste generated in operations
Does waste generated

in operations contribute
significantly to scope
3 emissions (based
on screening) or is
engagement with waste Can the waste treatment
treatment providers company provide Use supplier-specific
otherwise relevant to the yes waste-specific scope 1 yes
method
business goals? and scope 2 data?
no no
Can the reporting

company differentiate its yes Use the waste-type-
waste streams? specific method
no
Use the average-data

method

In certain cases, third party waste-treatment companies may be able to provide waste-specific scope 1 and scope 2
emissions data directly to customers (e.g., for incineration, recovery for recycling).

•• Allocated scope 1 and scope 2 emissions of the waste-treatment company (allocated to the waste collected from
the reporting company).

If using the supplier-specific method, the reporting company collects emissions data from waste treatment
companies, so no emission factors are required (the company would have already used emission factors to calculate
the emissions).
Calculation formula [5.1] Supplier-specific method
CO2e emissions from waste generated in operations =
sum across waste treatment providers:

∑ allocated scope 1 and scope 2 emissions of waste treatment company
Waste-type-specific method
Emissions from waste depend on the type of waste being disposed of, and the waste diversion method. Therefore,
companies should try to differentiate waste based on its type (e.g., cardboard, food-waste, wastewater) and the waste
treatment method (e.g., incinerated, landfilled, recycled, wastewater).

•• Waste produced (e.g., tonne/ cubic meter) and type of waste generated in operations
•• For each waste type, specific waste treatment method applied (e.g., landfilled, incinerated, recycled).
Because many waste operators charge for waste disposal by the method used, disposal methods may be identified on
utility bills. The information may also be stored on internal IT systems. Companies with leased facilities may have difficulty
obtaining primary data. Guidance on improving data collection can be found in chapter 7 of the Scope 3 Standard.

•• Waste type-specific and waste treatment-specific emission factors. The emission factors should include end-of-life
processes only. Emission factors may include emissions from transportation of waste.


•• Calculated emission factors using IPCC Guidelines (2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories
Volume 5), available at http://www.ipcc-nggip.iges.or.jp/public/2006gl/vol5.html
Calculation formula [5.2] Waste-type-specific method
sum across waste types:

∑ (waste produced (tonnes or m ) × waste type and waste treatment specific emission factor
3
(kg CO2e/tonne or m3))
Example [5.1] C
alculating emissions from waste generated in operations using the waste-type-specific method
Company A manufactures plastic components and produces solid waste as well as a high volume of wastewater in the
manufacturing process. The company collects data on the different types of waste produced, and how this waste is
treated. Emission factors are then sourced for each of the waste types.
Waste type Waste Waste treatment Waste type and waste treatment
produced specific emission factor*
Plastic 2,000 t Landfill 40 kg CO2e/t
Plastic 5,000 t Incinerated with energy recovery 2 kg CO2e/ta
Plastic 4,000 t Recycled 10 kg CO2e/tb
Water disposal 5,000 m3 Wastewater 0.5 kg CO2e/m3
Notes: the activity data and emission factors in this example are for illustrative purposes only.
a. Includes emissions from preparation and transportation not allocated to the energy produced.
b. Includes emissions from material recovery in preparation for recycling not allocated to the recycled material.
∑ (waste produced (tonnes)

× waste type and waste treatment specific emission factor (kg CO2e/tonne or m3))
= (2,000 × 40) + (5,000 × 2) + (4,000 × 10) + (5,000 × 0.5) = 132,500 kg CO2e

Average-data method
Companies using the average-data method should collect data based on the total waste diversion rates from the
reporting organization. This is often preferable where the type of waste produced is unknown. However, this method
has a higher degree of uncertainty than the waste-type-specific method.

•• Total mass of waste generated in operations

•• Proportion of this waste being treated by different methods (e.g., percent landfilled, incinerated, recycled).
Because many waste operators charge for waste by disposal method, this data may be collected from utility bills. The
information may also be stored on internal IT systems.

•• Average waste treatment specific emission factors based on all waste disposal types. The emission factors should
include end-of-life processes only.


•• National inventories.
sum across waste treatment methods:

∑ (total mass of waste (tonnes) × proportion of total waste being treated by waste treatment method
× emission factor of waste treatment method (kg CO2e/tonne))

Example [5.2] Calculating emissions from waste generated in operations using the average-data method
Company A is a telesales center. The company does not have sufficient information to allow the waste-type specific data
method. Company A, therefore, collects data on the total waste collected, the proportion of waste treated by various
methods, and average emission factors for waste diversion methods:
Total waste Waste treatment Proportion Average emission factor

produced (percent) of waste treatment method
(tonnes) (kg CO2e/tonne)
Landfill 25 300
Incinerated with energy recovery 5 0a
40 Recycled 30 0b
Recycled 20 10c
Composted 20 30
Notes: the activity data and emission factors in this example are for illustrative purposes only.
a. Emissions from preparation and transportation have been allocated to the energy produced.
b. Emissions from material recovery in preparation for recycling have been allocated to the recycled material.
c. Emissions from material recovery in preparation for recycling have not been allocated to the recycled material.
∑ (total mass of waste (tonnes)

× proportion of total waste being treated by waste treatment method
× emission factor of waste treatment method (kg CO2e/tonne))
= (40 × 0.25 × 300) + (40 × 0.05 × 0) + (40 × 0.3 × 0) + (40 × 0.2 × 10) + (40 × 0.2 × 30)
= 3,320 kg CO2e
Accounting for emissions from recycling

Emission reductions associated with recycling are due to two factors:
•• The difference in emissions between extracting and processing virgin material versus preparing recycled material
for reuse
•• A reduction in emissions that would otherwise have occurred if the waste had been sent to a landfill or other waste
treatment method.
Companies may encounter recycling in three circumstances, each of which is relevant to a different scope 3 category
(see table 5.1 and figure 5.1).

Table [5.1] Accounting for emissions from recycling across different scope 3 categories
Circumstance Relevant scope 3 category
A Company purchases material with recycled content Category 1 (Purchased goods and services), or Category 2
(Capital goods)
BC
ompany generates waste from its operations Category 5 (Waste generated in operations)
that is sent for recycling
C Company sells products with recyclable content Category 12 (End-of-life treatment of sold products)
Under circumstance A (table 5.1), if a company purchases a product or material that contains recycled content, the
upstream emissions of the recycling processes are built into the cradle-to-gate emission factor for that product and
would, therefore, be reflected in category 1 (Purchased goods and services). If a company purchases a recycled material
that has lower upstream emissions than the equivalent virgin material then this would register as lower emissions
in category 1. Under circumstance B, a company may recycle some of its “operational waste”. These emissions are
reported under category 5 (Waste generated in operations). Under circumstance C, products with recyclable content
eventually become waste, which could be recycled. Emissions generated in this process are reported as category 12
(End-of-life treatment of sold products). (See figure 5.1.)
Because one company may both purchase recycled materials and sell recyclable products, methodologies have been
established to keep the emissions from being double counted. To allocate the emissions from the recycling process
between the disposer of the waste and the user of the recycled material, the recommended allocation method is
the “recycled content method.” This method allocates the emissions to the company that uses the recycled material
(reported as category 1).
If there is doubt about which processes are allocated to the recycled material (circumstance A), it may be helpful to look
at which processes are included in the cradle-to-gate emission factor for the material when it is used as an input. Any
processes not included in that factor, but applicable to the company’s supply chain, should be included in category 5 or
category 12 because they have not been allocated to the recycled material.
The recycled content method is recommended for scope 3 inventories because it is easy to use and generally consistent
with secondary emission factors available for recycled material inputs. However, companies may use other methods
if they are more applicable to specific materials in their supply chain. For example, the “closed loop approximation
method” may be applicable when a recycled material output has the same inherent properties as virgin material input
into the same supply chain. This method, also defined in more detail in section 9.3.6 of the Product Standard, accounts
for the impact that end-of-life recycling has on the net virgin acquisition of a material. If there is uncertainty about
which recycling method is appropriate for a given material or if the supply chain is complex, the recycled content
method is the recommended choice to avoid double counting or miscounting of emissions.
Reporting negative or avoided emissions from recycling

Claims of negative or avoided emissions associated with recycling are claims beyond a reduction in processing emissions
(as described in circumstance A above) and beyond a reduction in waste treatment emissions in categories 5 or 12

(as described in circumstances B and C above). Negative or avoided emissions claims refer to a comparison of the
emissions from processing the recycled material relative to the emissions from producing the equivalent virgin material.
Any claims of avoided emissions associated with recycling should not be included in, or deducted from, the scope
3 inventory, but may instead be reported separately from scope 1, scope 2, and scope 3 emissions. Companies that
report avoided emissions should also provide data to support the claim that emissions were avoided (e.g., that recycled
materials are collected, recycled, and used) and report the methodology, data sources, system boundary, time period,
and other assumptions used to calculate avoided emissions. For more information on avoided emissions, see section 9.5
of the Scope 3 Standard (see also “Reporting additional metrics for recycling and waste-to-energy,” below).
Figure [5.1] Using the recycled content method to account for emissions from recycling
1. wheat
1 2 3
2. tree
3. mountains
4. glass bottle
Circumstance A: Company A
5. plastic bottle
6. aluminium can
purchases material that contains
7. factory
8. lorry
9. cloud
recycled content. The emissions
10. recycling bin Circumstance C:
11. recycling bin (colours 1. wheat
4 5 of the recycling
6 process will be
reversed)
12. wind turbines
Company A sells products 1 2 3
2. tree
3. mountains
included in the cradle-to-gate
13. chicken
14. cow 1 to consumers. Based 4. glass bottle
5. plastic bottle
15. cow 2
emission factor for the material and
16. shop on average statistics
6. aluminium can
7. factory
17. factory showing carbon 8. lorry
will be accounted for in Company A’s
emissions (carbon
company A estimates that 9. cloud
10. recycling bin
scope 3 category 1 orange)
at the end of their life, a Company A should 6 11. recycling bin (colours
reversed)
4 5
12. wind turbines
7 8 9
portion of the products account for emissions Company C
13. chicken
14. cow 1
are recycled and rest are from material recovery if 15. cow 2
16. shop
sent to landfills. these emissions are not 17. factory showing carbon
emissions (carbon
Company A included in the emission orange)
7 factor8 for the recycled9 Company C purchases a material

10 11 12
material purchased by that contains recycled content
recycled products
material Company C from Company A’s products. The
emissions of the recycling process
waste
1. wheat
waste
2.will
tree be included in the cradle-
1 2 3
3. mountains
to-gate emission factor for that

10 11 12 4. glass bottle
13 14 15
5. plastic bottle
recycling recycled 6. aluminium can
material material
7. factory and will be reflected in
Circumstance B: 8. lorry
landfill
Company
9. cloud
10. recycling bin
C’s scope 3 category 1
Company A generates waste 11. recycling bin (colours
reversed)
in its operations (“operational
4 5 6
12. wind turbines
13. chicken
waste”). Some waste is recycled

13 14 15 14. cow 1
16 17 15. cow 2
16. shop
and incorporated into 17. factory showing carbon
emissions (carbon
new materials, some emissions are shown in
orange)
waste is sent to landfills

Company A accounts 7
for 8 9
emissions of its products16 sent to 17
landfill in scope 3 category 12

Company B
10 11 12
recycling recycled
material
landfill
Company A should Company B purchases a material

13
account
14
for emissions15 that contains recycled content
from material recovery if from Company A’s waste. The
these emissions are not emissions of the recycling process
included in the emission will be included in the cradle-
Company A accounts for (lifetime) factor for the recycled to-gate emission factor for that
emissions of operational waste in 16 material
17 purchased by material and will be reflected in
landfill in scope 3 category 5 Company B Company B’s scope 3 category 1

Accounting for emissions from incineration with energy recovery (waste-to-energy)

Attributing emissions from waste-to-energy is similar to the approach taken for recycling. Companies may both generate
waste that is incinerated with energy recovery (waste-to-energy) and consume energy that is generated by waste-to-energy
processes. If a company purchases energy from the same facility that it sends its waste to, then accounting for emissions
from the waste-to-energy combustion process both upstream and downstream would double count the emissions. To avoid
double counting, a company should account for upstream emissions from purchased energy generated from waste in scope
2. (In most cases, the emissions associated with combustion of waste to produce energy will be included in the grid average
emission factor). Companies should account for emissions from preparing and transporting waste that will be combusted in
a waste-to-energy facility in category 5, but should not account for emissions from the waste-to-energy combustion process
itself. These emissions should be included in scope 2 by the consumers of energy generated from waste.
If waste from operations is incinerated and used for energy on-site and under operational or financial control, the
emissions associated with the incineration are included as scope 1 (and scope 2 would decrease as a result of a
reduction in purchased energy). Companies should not report negative or avoided emissions associated with waste-to-
energy in the inventory.
This guidance does not apply to accounting for emissions from waste that is incinerated without energy recovery. All
emissions from combusting waste without energy recovery are reported by the company generating the waste under
scope 3, category 5 (Waste generated in operations).
Reporting additional information for recycling and waste-to-energy

Under the accounting methodology described above, emissions from recycling and waste-to-energy both appear
to have a similar effect on the reporting company’s scope 3 category 5 emissions (i.e., emissions from both will be
reported as close to zero) based on the scope 3 boundary definition. It is, therefore, suggested that companies
separately report additional information to help identify the full GHG impacts within and outside their inventory
boundary and make informed decisions about the best options for waste treatment (e.g. recycling compared to
waste-to-energy).
If electricity is generated from waste-to-energy, companies may report separately the emissions per unit of net electrical
generation from the combustion stage of waste-to-energy relative to the local grid average electricity emission factor
(tonnes CO2e per kWh). For example incinerating plastic waste is likely to be more carbon-intensive per kWh of electricity
generated than the grid average. Reporting this metric would help companies understand whether sending their waste to a
waste-to-energy facility is leading to more- or less-carbon-intensive electricity for the region.
Similarly in the case of recycling, it is suggested that companies report separately the recycling emissions relative to the
emissions from producing the equivalent virgin material. This number will often be a negative emissions figure (as recycled
material inputs generally have lower upstream emissions than virgin materials). If reported, this figure must be reported
separately to the scope 3 inventory.
Accounting for emissions from wastewater

Emissions from wastewater are highly variable depending on how much processing is needed to treat the water
(determined by biological oxygen demand [BOD] and/or chemical oxygen demand [COD]). The following industries
often have higher emissions from wastewater (where wastewater is not treated onsite): starch refining; alcohol
refining; pulp and paper; vegetables, fruits, and juices; and food processing. Companies in these industries should
calculate emissions from wastewater using methods provided in the 2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas
Inventories Volume 5 Waste, available at http://www.ipcc-nggip.iges.or.jp/public/2006gl/vol5.html.

6
Category 6:
Business Travel
T
his category includes emissions from the transportation of employees for business-
related activities in vehicles owned or operated by third parties, such as aircraft,
trains, buses, and passenger cars.
Emissions from transportation in vehicles owned or controlled by the reporting company are accounted for in either
scope 1 (for fuel use), or in the case of electric vehicles, scope 2 (for electricity use). Emissions from leased vehicles
operated by the reporting company not included in scope 1 or scope 2 are accounted for in scope 3, category 8
(Upstream leased assets). Emissions from transportation of employees to and from work are accounted for in scope 3,
category 7 (Employee commuting). See table 6.1.
Emissions from business travel may arise from:
•• Air travel
•• Rail travel
•• Bus travel
•• Automobile travel (e.g., business travel in rental cars or employee-owned vehicles other than employee commuting
to and from work)
•• Other modes of travel.
Companies may optionally include emissions from business travelers staying in hotels.
A reporting company’s scope 3 emissions from business travel include the scope 1 and scope 2 emissions of
transportation companies (e.g., airlines).

CATEGORY 6 Business Travel
Table [6.1] Accounting for employee transportation across the value chain
Activity Relevant category of emissions
Emissions from transportation in vehicles owned or controlled by Scope 1 (for vehicles that consume fuel) and
the reporting company scope 2 (for vehicles that consume electricity)
Emissions from the transportation of employees for business-re- Scope 3, category 6 (Business travel)
lated activities in vehicles owned or operated by third parties
Emissions from transportation of employees to and from work Scope 3, category 7 (Employee commuting)
Emissions from leased vehicles operated by the reporting com- Scope 3, category 8 (Upstream leased assets)
pany not included in scope 1 or scope 2
Calculating emissions from business travel

Figure 6.1 gives a decision tree for selecting a calculation method for emissions from business travel. Companies may
use one of the following methods to calculate scope 3 emissions from business travel:
•• Fuel-based method, which involves determining the amount of fuel consumed during business travel (i.e., scope 1
and scope 2 emissions of transport providers) and applying the appropriate emission factor for that fuel
•• Distance-based method, which involves determining the distance and mode of business trips, then applying the
appropriate emission factor for the mode used
•• Spend-based method, which involves determining the amount of money spent on each mode of business travel
transport and applying secondary (EEIO) emission factors.
Figure [6.1] Decision tree for selecting a calculation method for emissions from business travel
Does business travel

contribute significantly to
scope 3 emissions (based on
screening) or is engagement Is data available on the
with travel providers types and quantities/cost Use the
yes yes
otherwise relevant to the of fuels consumed fuel-based method
business goals? during travel?
no no
Is data available on Use the

yes distance-based method
distance travelled?
no
Is data available on the Use the

amount of money spent yes spend-based method
on travel providers?

Fuel-based method
The calculation methodology for the fuel-based method does not differ from the fuel-based method in category 4
(Upstream transport and distribution). For guidance on calculating emissions using this method, refer to the guidance
for category 4 (Upstream transport and distribution). Companies may optionally collect data on the number of hotel
nights incurred during business travel by hotel type. Under this method, they add the number of hotel nights and the
emissions factor of the hotel (as shown in the distance-based method below) to the fuel-based method in category 4
(Upstream transport and distribution).
Distance-based method
If data on fuel use is unavailable, companies may use the distance-based method.
The distance-based method involves multiplying activity data (i.e., vehicle-kilometers or person-kilometers travelled by
vehicle type) by emission factors (typically default national emission factors by vehicle type). Vehicle types include all
categories of aircraft, rail, subway, bus, automobile, etc.

•• Total distance travelled by each mode of transport (air, train, bus, car, etc.) for employees in the reporting year.
Where possible, companies should also collect data on:
•• Countries of travel (since transportation emission factors vary by country)

•• Specific types of vehicles used for travel (since transportation emission factors vary by vehicle types)
from transport providers
•• The specific passenger vehicle type and the relevant emission factor.
Companies may optionally collect data on the number of hotel nights incurred during business travel by hotel type.
Activity data should be expressed as the number of kilometers travelled or kilometers travelled per person for a
particular vehicle type (e.g., passenger-kilometer). The activity data should be summed to obtain total annual kilometers
or person-kilometers travelled by each vehicle type used by the company.

•• Emission factors for each mode of transport (e.g., aircraft, rail, metro, bus, taxi, bus), expressed in units of
greenhouse gas (CO2, CH4, N2O, HFC, or CO2e) emitted per kilometer or per passenger-kilometer travelled.
Companies may optionally use emission factors for hotel stays by hotel type (e.g., kilograms of CO2e emitted per hotel night).


Methods of data collection include:
•• Automatic tracking of distance travelled by mode through a travel agency or other travel providers
•• Automatic tracking of distance travelled by mode through internal expense and reimbursement systems,
which may require adding new questions on distance travelled and mode of transport to travel or expense forms
submitted by employees
•• Annual surveys/questionnaires of employees
•• Working with travel providers (e.g., transportation companies, hotels) to obtain GHG emissions data.
Collecting travel data from all employees may not be feasible. In such a case, companies may extrapolate from a
representative sample of employees to the total business travel of all employees. For example, a company may have
4,000 employees, each of whom has different travel profiles. The company may extrapolate from a representative
sample of 400 employees to approximate the total business travel of all employees. Companies may also choose to
group or combine data from business travellers with similar travel profiles. See Appendix A for more information on
sampling methods.
developed by World Resources Institute, available at http://www.ghgprotocol.org/calculation-tools/all-tools
•• For UK organizations, the Department for Transport provides guidance and a calculation tool for work-related travel
at: http://www2.dft.gov.uk/pgr/sustainable/greenhousegasemissions/.
Once the company has determined total annual distance travelled by each mode of transport (aggregated across all
employees), apply the formula below to calculate emissions.
Calculation formula [6.1] Distance-based method
CO2e emissions from business travel =
sum across vehicle types:

∑ (distance travelled by vehicle type (vehicle-km or passenger-km)
× vehicle specific emission factor (kg CO2e/vehicle-km or kg CO2e/passenger-km))
+
(optional)
∑ (annual number of hotel nights (nights) × hotel emission factor (kg CO2e/night))

Example [6.1] Calculating emissions from business travel using the distance-based method
Company A is a financial services company. Every year, it sends groups of professionals to industry conferences in the
United Kingdom, Australia, and the United States. For each group, the company has collected activity data on the typical
distances travelled and modes of transport.
Data was collected via employee questionnaires and information provided by travel agencies and transportation
companies. It is assumed that each member of the group travelled the same amount in the same business trip.
Road Travel
Employee Number of Car type Average Location Distance Emission factor

Group employees employees
in group per vehicle (km) (kg CO2e/
vehicle-km)
Group 1 10 Hybrid 2 United States 50 1
Group 2 20 Average 2 Australia 200 2

gasoline
car
Group 3 100 Four wheel 3 United States 100 4

drive
Air Travel
Employee Number of Flight type Distance Emission factor

Group employees
in group (km) (kg CO2e/passenger-km)
Group 1 10 Long haul 10,000 5
Group 2 20 Short haul 15,000 6
Group 3 100 Long haul 12,000 5

Example [6.1] Calculating emissions from business travel using the distance-based method (continued)
Three types of flights are identified for calculating emission factors. Short-haul flights have higher emission factors due
to strong influence of the landing/take off cycle on emissions, whereas long-haul flights have slightly higher emissions
than medium-haul flights due to the additional weight of fuel. Many countries have specific definitions of types of
flights. Below is an indicative description:
•• Short haul – flights less than 3 hours in length

•• Medium haul – flights 3-6 hours in length
•• Long haul – journeys made by wide-bodied aircrafts that fly long distance, typically more than 6.5 hours.
total business travel emissions of Company A can be calculated as follows:
emissions from road travel = ∑ (distance travelled by vehicle type (vehicle-km or passenger-km)
= (10/2 × 50 × 1) + (20/2 × 200 × 2) + (100/3 × 100 × 4)
= 17,583.33 kg CO2e
emissions from air travel = ∑ (distance travelled by vehicle type (vehicle-km or passenger-km)
= (10 × 10,000 × 5) + (20 × 15,000 × 6) + (100 × 12,000 × 5)
= 8,300,000 kg CO2e
total emissions from employee travel = emissions from road travel + emissions from air travel
= 17,583.33 + 8,300,000
= 8,317,583.33 kg CO2e
Spend-based method
If it is not possible to use either the fuel- or distance-based methods, companies may use the spend-based method.
The calculation method is same as the spend-based method described in Category 4: Upstream Transportation
and Distribution, with the difference that the activity data is the amount spent on business travel by type/mode of
transport. Refer to the spend-based method in Category 4 for a description of this method.
Companies may optionally collect data on the number of hotel nights incurred during business travel by hotel type.

7
Category 7:
Employee Commuting
This category includes emissions from the transportation of employees4 between their homes and their worksites.
Emissions from employee commuting may arise from:
•• Automobile travel
•• Bus travel
•• Rail travel
•• Air travel
•• Other modes of transportation (e.g., subway, bicycling, walking).
Companies may include emissions from teleworking (i.e., employees working remotely) in this category.
A reporting company’s scope 3 emissions from employee commuting include the scope 1 and scope 2 emissions of
employees and third-party transportation providers.
Calculating emissions from employee commuting

Figure 7.1 offers a decision tree for selecting a calculation method for scope 3 emissions from employee commuting.
Companies may use one of the following methods:
•• Fuel-based method, which involves determining the amount of fuel consumed during commuting and applying the
appropriate emission factor for that fuel
•• Distance-based method, which involves collecting data from employees on commuting patterns (e.g., distance
travelled and mode used for commuting) and applying appropriate emission factors for the modes used
•• Average-data method, which involves estimating emissions from employee commuting based on average
(e.g., national) data on commuting patterns.
4 “Employees” refers to employees of entities and facilities owned, operated, or leased by the reporting company. Companies may include
employees of other relevant entities (e.g., franchises or outsourced operations) in this category, as well as consultants, contractors, and
other individuals who are not employees of the company, but commute to facilities owned and operated by the company.

CATEGORY 7 Employee Commuting
Figure [7.1] Decision tree for selecting a calculation method for emissions from employee commuting
Does employee
commuting contribute
significantly to scope
3 emissions (based on
screening) or are emissions Is data available on the
from employee commuting types and quantities or
yes yes Use the
otherwise relevant to the cost of fuels consumed fuel-based method
business goals? during transportation?
no no
Is data available on Use the

yes
distance travelled and distance-based method
the mode of transport
used by employees?
no
Use the
average-data method
Fuel-based method
If data is available on the quantity or amount spent on fuel by employees for commuting, companies may apply the
fuel-based method. The calculation methodology for the fuel-based method is the same as the fuel-based method in
category 4 (Upstream transport and distribution). For guidance on calculating emissions using this method, refer to the
guidance for category 4 (Upstream transport and distribution). If the fuel-based method is used to calculate emissions
from commuting on public transport, then emissions need to be allocated to the employee(s). For more information on
allocation, see chapter 8 of the Scope 3 Standard.
Distance-based method
Companies should collect data on the following:
•• Total distance travelled by employees over the reporting period (e.g., passenger-kilometers travelled)
•• Mode of transport used for commuting (e.g., train, subway, bus, car, bicycle).


•• Emission factors for each mode of transport (usually expressed in units of greenhouse gas (CO2, CH4, N2O, or CO2e)
emitted per passenger-kilometers travelled).
the GWP of emissions arising from aircraft transport. Where used, companies should disclose the specific factor used.

Companies should collect data on employee commuting habits, for example through a survey. Companies should
survey their employees annually to obtain information on average commuting habits. Types of data to collect include:
•• Distance travelled by employees per day, or location of residence and office

•• The number of days per week that employees use different vehicle types (all categories of subway, car, bus, train,
bicycle, etc.)
•• Number of commuting days per week and number of weeks worked per year
•• If the company is multinational: employees’ region of residence/work (since transportation emission factors vary by region)
•• Whether there is a significant car-pooling scheme in operation, the proportion of employees using the scheme and
the average occupancy per vehicle
•• If applicable, the amount of energy used from teleworking (e.g., kWh of gas, electricity consumed).
Collecting commuting data from all employees through a survey may not be feasible. Companies may extrapolate from
a representative sample of employees to represent the total commuting patterns of all employees. For example, a
company with 4,000 employees, who each have different commuting profiles, may extrapolate from a representative
sample of, for example, 1,000 employees to approximate the total commuting of all employees. See Appendix A for
more information on sampling.
Calculation formula [7.1] Distance-based method
CO2e emissions from employee travel =
first, sum across all employees to determine total distance travelled using each vehicle type:
total distance travelled by vehicle type (vehicle-km or passenger-km)

= ∑ (daily one-way distance between home and work (km) × 2 × number of commuting days per year)
then, sum across vehicle types to determine total emissions:

kg CO2e from employee commuting
= ∑ (total distance travelled by vehicle type (vehicle-km or passenger-km)
+
(optionally) for each energy source used in teleworking:
∑ (quantities of energy consumed (kWh) × emission factor for energy source (kg CO2e/kWh))

Companies should convert daily commuting distance into annual commuting distance by multiplying the daily distance
by the number of times the trip occurs during the reporting period. For example, if a company collects distance data on
one-way journeys, the company should multiply the distance by the number of working days in the reporting year, and
then multiply by two to account for daily return journeys.
Distance-travelled data by transport mode should be summed across all employees to obtain total annual kilometers or
passenger-kilometers travelled by each mode of transport.
Companies may optionally calculate the emissions of teleworking from home. To calculate these emissions, a baseline
emissions scenario should first be established. Baseline emissions occur regardless of whether or not the employee was
at home (e.g., energy consumed by the refrigerator). The reporting company should only account for the additional
emissions resulting from working from home, for example the electricity usage as a result of running the air conditioner
to stay cool.
Example [7.1] Calculating emissions from employee travel using the distance-based method
Company A is a small advertising services company, with three employees working 48 weeks per year. To calculate
emissions from employee commuting, it creates an “employee commuting profile” for each employee. Each employee
completes a questionnaire the results of which are summarized in the following table:
Employee Rail One way Rail emission Car Car emission One way
commute distance factor commute factor distance
(times per by rail (kg CO2e/ (times (kg CO2e/ by car (km)
week) (km) passenger- per week vehicle-
kilometer) kilometer)
A 5 10 0.1 0 0.2 N/A
B 4 10 0.1 1 0.2 15
C 0 N/A 0.1 5 0.2 20

the total distance travelled by rail (km) is calculated as:

∑ (daily one way distance between home and work (km) × 2 × 5 × number of commuting weeks per year)
= (10 × 2 × 5 × 48) + (10 × 2 × 4 × 48) = 8,640 km
the total distance travelled by car (km) is calculated as:

∑ (daily one way distance between home and work (km) × 2 × 5 × number of commuting weeks per year)
= (15 × 2 × 1 × 48) + (20 × 2 × 5 × 48) = 11,040 km
total emissions from employee commuting for the reporting year is calculated as:
∑ (total distance travelled by vehicle type (vehicle-km or passenger-km)
= (8,640 × 0.1) + (11,040 × 0.2) = 3,072 kg CO2e

Average-data method
If company specific data is unavailable, companies may use average secondary activity data to estimate distance
travelled and mode of transport. This may include using:
•• Average daily commuting distances of typical employees

•• Average modes of transport of typical employees
•• Average number of commuting days per week and average number of weeks worked per year.
Such estimation requires making several simplifying assumptions, which add uncertainty to the emissions estimates.

•• Number of employees
•• Average distance travelled by an average employee per day
•• Average breakdown of transport modes used by employees
•• Average number working days per year.

•• Companies should collect:
•• Emission factors for each mode of transport (usually expressed as kilograms of GHG emitted per passenger per
kilometer travelled).

Company may collect average secondary data from sources such as national transportation departments, ministries or
agencies, national statistics publications, and/or industry associations.
For example, the UK Office for National Statistics publishes average commuting patterns and distances (http://www.
neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/Info.do?page=analysisandguidance/commutingstatistics/commuting-
statistics.htm).
•• For UK organizations, the Department for Transport provides guidance and a calculation tool for work-related travel
at: http://www2.dft.gov.uk/pgr/sustainable/greenhousegasemissions/.

CO2e emissions from employee commuting =
sum across each transport mode:

∑ (total number of employees × % of employees using mode of transport
× one way commuting distance (vehicle-km or passenger-km) × 2 × working days per year
× emission factor of transport mode (kg CO2e/vehicle-km or kg CO2e/passenger-km))
Companies should convert average daily commuting distance into annual average commuting distance by multiplying
the one-way distance by two for the daily return trip and by the average number of days worked per year (i.e., excluding
weekends and days spent on business travel, vacation, or working from home).
Example [7.2] Calculating emissions from employee travel using the average data method
Company A is a manufacturer in the United Kingdom with over 10,000 employees. To determine the distance and mode
of transport of employee travel, it refers to the UK Department of Transport’s information regarding average commute
choices and distances of commuters. National statistics show that UK workers work on average 235 days a year. The
example assumes that employees do not share rides. The results of the study are shown below:
Commute group Percent of total Average one-way Emission factor (kg CO2e/
commutes distance (km) vehicle or passenger km
Rail 50 10 0.1
Car 30 15 0.2
Foot 15 1 0.0
Bus 5 5 0.1

Example [7.2] Calculating emissions from employee travel using the average data method (continued)
CO2e emissions by mode of transport can be calculated as follows:
emissions from employee commuting = ∑ (total number of employees

× % of employees using mode of transport
× one way commuting distance (vehicle-km or passenger-km) × 2 × working days per year
× emission factor of transport mode (kg CO2e/vehicle-km or kg CO2e/passenger-km))
rail commuters:
(10,000 × 50% × 10 × 2 × 235 × 0.1) = 2,350,000 kg CO2e
car commuters:
(10,000 × 30% × 15 × 2 × 235 × 0.2) = 4,230,000 kg CO2e
foot commuters:
(10,000 × 15% × 1 × 2 × 235 × 0) = 0 kg CO2e
bus commuters:
(10,000 × 5% × 5 × 2 × 235 × 0.1) = 117,500 kg CO2e
total CO2e of employee travel can be calculated as follows:

= 2,350,000 + 4,230,000 + 0 + 117,500 = 6,697,500kg CO2e

8
Category 8:
Upstream Leased Assets
C
ategory 8 includes emissions from the operation of assets that are leased by the
reporting company in the reporting year and not already included in the reporting
company’s scope 1 or scope 2 inventories. This category is applicable only to companies
that operate leased assets (i.e., lessees). For companies that own and lease assets to others
(i.e., lessors), see category 13 (Downstream leased assets).
Leased assets may be included in a company’s scope 1 or scope 2 inventory depending on the type of lease and the
consolidation approach the company uses to define its organizational boundaries (see section 5.2 of the Scope 3 Standard).
If the reporting company leases an asset for only part of the reporting year, it should account for emissions for the
portion of the year that the asset was leased. A reporting company’s scope 3 emissions from upstream leased assets
include the scope 1 and scope 2 emissions of lessors (depending on the lessor’s consolidation approach).
See Appendix A of the Scope 3 Standard for more information on accounting for emissions from leased assets.
Calculating emissions from leased assets

Figure 8.1 shows a decision tree for selecting a calculation method for emissions from upstream leased assets.
Companies may use one of the following methods:
•• Asset-specific method, which involves collecting asset-specific (e.g., site-specific) fuel and energy use data and
process and fugitive emissions data or scope 1 and scope 2 emissions data from individual leased assets
•• Lessor-specific method, which involves collecting the scope 1 and scope 2 emissions from lessor(s) and allocating
emissions to the relevant leased asset(s)

CATEGORY 8 Upstream Leased Assets
•• Average data method, which involves estimating emissions for each leased asset, or groups of leased assets, based
on average data, such as average emissions per asset type or floor space.
Companies may also calculate the life cycle emissions associated with manufacturing or constructing leased assets.
Figure [8.1] Decision tree for selecting a calculation method for emissions from upstream leased assets
Does the leased asset

scope 3 emissions (based on Is asset-specific (e.g.,
screening) or are emissions site-specific) fuel and
from leased assets yes yes Use asset-specific
energy data or scope 1
otherwise relevant to the method
and scope 2 emissions
business goals? data available?
no no
Can the lessor provide

scope 1 and scope 2 Use lessor-specific
yes
emissions data, allocated to method
the relevant leased asset?
no
Use average -
data method
Asset-specific method
This method involves collecting asset-specific (e.g., site-specific) fuel and energy and/or scope 1 and scope 2 emissions
data from individual leased assets.

Companies should collect scope 1 and scope 2 emissions data, or activity data on:
•• Asset-specific fuel use and electricity, steam, heating and cooling use
•• If applicable, activity data related to non-combustion emissions (i.e., industrial process or fugitive emissions).

•• Emission factors of fugitive and process emissions.

To optionally calculate emissions associated with manufacturing or construction of leased assets, companies should
use life cycle emission factors that include manufacturing and construction.

Data sources for activity data may include:
•• Life cycle databases. A list of life cycle databases is provided on the GHG Protocol website (http://www.ghgprotocol.
org/Third-Party-Databases). Additional databases may be added periodically, so continue to check the website.
•• Company-developed emission factors
•• Government agencies (e.g., Defra provides emission factors for the UK)
(http://www.ghgprotocol.org/calculation-tools/all-tools ) and the IPCC 2006 Guidelines (http://www.ipcc-nggip.iges.
To calculate scope 3 emissions from leased assets, aggregate the scope 1 and scope 2 emissions across all of the
reporting company’s leased assets, using this formula:
Calculation formula [8.1] Asset-specific method
CO2e emissions from upstream leased assets =
calculate the scope 1 and scope 2 emissions associated with each leased asset:
scope 1 emissions of leased asset

= ∑ (quantity of fuel consumed (e.g., liter) × emission factor for fuel source (e.g., kg CO2e/liter))
+ ∑ ((quantity of refrigerant leakage (kg) × emission factor for refrigerant (kg CO2e/kg))
+ process emissions)
scope 2 emissions of leased asset

= ∑ (quantity of electricity, steam, heating, cooling consumed (e.g., kWh)
× emission factor for electricity, steam, heating, cooling (e.g., kg CO2e/kWh))
then sum across leased assets:
∑ scope 1 and scope 2 emissions of each leased asset

Companies that lease a portion of a building (e.g., an office building) where energy use is not separately sub-metered by
the tenant may estimate energy consumed using the reporting company’s share of the building’s total floor space and
total building energy use, following this formula:
Calculation formula [8.2] Allocating emissions from leased buildings that are not sub-metered
energy use from leased space (kWh) =
(reporting company’s area (m2)) / (building’s total area (m2)

× building’s occupancy rate (e.g., 0.75))
× building’s total energy use (kWh)
Example [8.1] Calculating emissions from upstream leased assets using the asset-specific method
Company B leases an entire floor of office space from Company D for one year. Company B is able to collect data on
the fuel, electricity, and fugitive emissions of the entire building for the reporting year. Company B leases 200 m2 of the
building’s total area of 2,000 m2. The occupancy rate of the building is 75%.
Data is summarized in the table below:
Natural Natural gas Electricity Electricity Fugitive Fugitive

gas (kWh) emission factor (kWh) emission factor emissions emission
(kg CO2e/kWh) (kg CO2e/kWh) factor
Building 1,500 0.2 3,000 0.7 5 1,500


Example [8.1] Calculating emissions from upstream leased assets using the asset-specific method (continued)
Total natural gas allocation to company B:
(reporting company’s area (m2)

building’s total area (m2) × building’s occupancy rate (e.g., 0.75)
× building’s total natural gas use
= 200 / (2000 × 0.75) × 1500

= 200 kWh
total electricity allocation to company B:
reporting company’s area (m2)

× building’s total electricity use
= (200 / (2000 × 0.75) × 3000

= 400 kWh
total fugitives allocation to company B:

building’s total area (m2) building’s occupancy rate (e.g., 0.75)
× building’s total fugitive emissions
= (200 / (2000 × 0.75) × 5

= 0.67 kg
total emissions of leased asset:
= (200 × 0.2) + (400 × 0.7) + (0.67 × 1500)

= 1,325 kg CO2e

Lessor-specific method
The lessor-specific method involves collecting the scope 1 and scope 2 emissions from lessor(s) and allocating
emissions to the relevant leased asset(s). This method is relevant in cases where, for example, office space is leased in
a building that is not sub-metered. If the lessor company has data available at the building- or company-level, allocation
techniques can be used to apportion emissions to the office space leased by the reporting company.

Companies should collect lessors’ total scope 1 and scope 2 emissions data, or activity data on:
•• Lessor’s total fuel use and electricity use

•• Lessor’s fugitive emissions (e.g., from refrigerants)
•• Lessor’s process emissions (if applicable).

•• Emission factors of fugitive and process emissions.
To allocate emissions, companies should collect data on:
•• Total area/volume/quantity of lessors’ assets

•• Total area/volume/quantity of the reporting company’s leased assets.
For guidance on allocating emissions, refer to chapter 8 of the Scope 3 Standard.

Calculation formula [8.3] Lessor-specific method
CO2e emissions from leased assets =
calculate the scope 1 and scope 2 emissions associated with each lessor:
scope 1 emissions of lessor

= ∑ (quantity of fuel consumed (e.g., liter) × emission factor for fuel source (e.g., kg CO2e/liter))
+ ∑ (quantity of refrigerant leakage (kg) × emission factor for refrigerant (kg CO2e/kg))
+ process emissions
scope 2 emissions of lessor

then allocate emissions from each lessor and then sum across lessors:
∑ (scope 1 and scope 2 emissions of lessor (kg CO2e)
× ( area, volume, quantity, etc., of the leased asset

total area, volume, quantity, etc., of lessor assets
)
Average-data method
The average-data method involves estimating emissions for each leased asset, or groups of leased assets, based on
average statistics and secondary data, such as average emissions per asset type or floor space. The average-data
method should be used when purchase records, electricity bills, or meter readings of fuel or energy use are not
available or applicable. Approaches include:
•• Estimated emissions based on occupied floor space by asset/building type (for leased buildings)
•• Estimated emissions based on number and type of leased assets.
Note that the average-data method is less accurate than the lessor-specific method and limits the ability of companies
to track their performance of GHG reduction actions.

•• Floor space of each leased building

•• Number of leased buildings, by building type (e.g., office, retail, warehouse, factory, etc.)
•• Number and type of leased assets other than buildings that give rise to scope 1 or scope 2 emissions (e.g., company
cars, trucks).


•• Average emission factors by floor space, expressed in units of emissions per square meter, square foot occupied
(e.g., kg CO2e/m2/year)
•• Average emission factors by building type, expressed in units of emissions per building (e.g., kg CO2e/small office
block/year)
•• Emission factors by asset type, expressed in units of emissions per asset (e.g., kg CO2e/car/year).

The U.S. Energy Information Administration has developed a dataset on average energy use by building type.
Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey, at: http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cbecs
Calculation formula [8.4] Average-data method for leased buildings (where floor space data is available)
sum across building types:

∑ (total floor space of building type (m2) × average emission factor for building type (kg CO2e/m2/year))
Calculation formula [8.5] A

verage-data method for leased assets other than buildings and for leased
buildings where floor space data is unavailable
sum across asset types:

∑ (number of assets x average emissions per asset type (kg CO2e/asset type/year))

9
Category 9:
Downstream Transportation
and Distribution
T
his category includes emissions that occur in the reporting year from transportation
and distribution of sold products in vehicles and facilities not owned or controlled by
the reporting company.
This category also includes emissions from retail and storage. Outbound transportation and distribution services
that are purchased by the reporting company are excluded from category 9 and included in category 4 (Upstream
transportation and distribution) because the reporting company purchases the service. Category 9 includes only
emissions from transportation and distribution of products after the point of sale. See table 5.7 in the Scope 3 Standard
for guidance in accounting for emissions from transportation and distribution in the value chain.

10 11
1. wheat 12
1 2 3
2. tree
3. mountains
4. glass bottle
5. plastic bottle
6. aluminium can
7. factory
8. lorry
CATEGORY 9 Downstream Transportation and Distribution
9. cloud
10. recycling bin
13 14
reversed) 15
4 5 6
12. wind turbines
Figure [9.1] Accounting for emissions from transportation and distribution of sold products 13. chicken
14. cow 1
15. cow 2
16. shop
Reporting Transportation Retailer Consumer
emissions (carbon
Company of sold products emissions are shown in

orange)
16 17
7 8 9
How to account for scope 3

emissions from transportation &
distribution of sold products...
...if the company does not pay for

Scope 1 & 2 Scope 3 category 9 Scope 3 category 9
transportation of sold products to retailer 10 11 12
...if the company does pay for

Scope 1 & 2 Scope 3 category 4 Scope 3 category 9
transportation of sold products to retailer 13 14 15
Emissions from downstream transportation and distribution can arise from transportation/storage of sold products in
vehicles/facilities not owned by the reporting company.
16
For example:
17
•• Warehouses and distribution centers

•• Retail facilities
•• Air transport
•• Rail transport
•• Road transport
•• Marine transport.
In this category, companies may include emissions from customers traveling to and from retail stores, which can be
significant for companies that own or operate retail facilities. See chapter 5.6 of the Scope 3 Standard for guidance on
the applicability of category 9 to final products and intermediate products sold by the reporting company. A reporting
company’s scope 3 emissions from downstream transportation and distribution include the scope 1 and scope 2
emissions of transportation companies, distribution companies, retailers, and (optionally) customers.
If the reporting company sells an intermediate product, the company should report emissions from transportation and
distribution of this intermediate product between the point of sale by the reporting company and either (1) the end
consumer (if the eventual end use of the intermediate product is known) or (2) business customers (if the eventual end
use of the intermediate product is unknown).

Calculating emissions from transportation (downstream)

The emissions from downstream transportation should follow the calculation methods described in category 4
(Upstream transportation and distribution). Figure 9.1 shows how to determine how to account for emissions from
transportation and distribution of sold products. Companies may use either the fuel-based, distance-based or spend-
based method.

The major difference between calculating upstream and downstream emissions of transportation is likely to be the
availability and quality of activity data. Transportation data may be easier to obtain from upstream suppliers than from
downstream customers and transportation companies. Therefore, companies may need to use the distance-based
method to calculate downstream transportation emissions.
If the actual transportation distances are not known, the reporting company may estimate downstream distances by
using a combination of:
•• Government, academic, or industry publications

•• Online maps and calculators
•• Published port-to-port travel distances.

•• See emission factors guidance for category 4 (Upstream transportation and distribution).

The UK government produces average freight distances for the economy’s main categories of goods (see http://www.
dft.gov.uk/pgr/statistics/datatablespublications/freight/). This database may be used in the absence of purchaser-
specific or region-specific data.
A list of life cycle databases is provided on the GHG Protocol website (http://www.ghgprotocol.org/Third-Party-
Databases). Additional databases may be added periodically, so continue to check the website.
Calculating emissions from distribution (downstream)

The emissions from downstream distribution should follow the calculation methods described in category 4 (Upstream
transportation and distribution). Companies may use either the site-specific method or the average-data method. For
the reasons outlined above, companies are more likely to apply the average-data method.

Example [9.1] Calculating emissions from downstream transportation
Company A sells timber to furniture Company B, which manufactures the timber into furniture, which it sells retail.
Company A collects information on the mass of timber sold to Company B and estimates the downstream transport
distances of the following:
• From point of sale to Company B (if not paid for by Company A)
• From Company B’s manufacturing facility to retail distribution centers
• From retail distribution centers to retail outlets.
The data is summarized in the table below:
Purchaser Mass of goods Total downstream dis- Transport mode Emission factor
sold (tonnes) tance transported (km) or vehicle type (kg CO2e/tonne-km)
B 4 2,000 Truck 0.2

(rigid, >3.5-7.5t)
emissions from downstream transport:

∑ (quantity of goods sold (tonnes) × distance travelled in transport legs (km)
× emission factor of transport mode or vehicle type (kg CO2e/tonne-km))
= 4 × 2,000 × 0.2 = 1,600 kg CO2e

10
Category 10:
Processing of Sold Products
C
ategory 10 includes emissions from processing of sold intermediate products
by third parties (e.g., manufacturers) subsequent to sale by the reporting
company. Intermediate products are products that require further processing,
transformation, or inclusion in another product before use (see box 5.3 of the Scope 3
Standard), and therefore result in emissions from processing subsequent to sale by the
reporting company and before use by the end consumer. Emissions from processing should
be allocated to the intermediate product.
In certain cases, the eventual end use of sold intermediate products may be unknown. For example, a company that
produces an intermediate product with many potential downstream applications, each of which has a different GHG
emissions profile, may be unable to reasonably estimate the downstream emissions associated with these various
end uses. See section 6.4 of the Scope 3 Standard for guidance in cases where downstream emissions associated
with sold intermediate products are unknown.
See section 5.6 of the Scope 3 Standard for guidance on the applicability of category 10 to final products and
intermediate products sold by the reporting company. A reporting company’s scope 3 emissions from processing
of sold intermediate products include the scope 1 and scope 2 emissions of downstream value chain partners
(e.g., manufacturers).

CATEGORY 10 Processing of Sold Products
Calculating emissions from processing of sold products

Figure 10.1 gives a decision tree for selecting a calculation method for calculating scope 3 emissions from processing of
sold products. Companies may use either of two methods:
•• Site-specific method, which involves determining the amount of fuel and electricity used and the amount of
waste generated from processing of sold intermediate products by the third party and applying the appropriate
emission factors
•• Average-data method, which involves estimating emissions for processing of sold intermediate products based on
average secondary data, such as average emissions per process or per product.
Companies should choose a calculation method based on their business goals and their ability to collect data from
processing of sold intermediate products by third parties. In many cases, collecting primary data from downstream
value chain partners may be difficult. In such cases, companies should use the average-data method.
Figure [10.1] Decision tree for selecting a calculation method for emissions from processing of sold products
Does processing of sold

products contribute
significantly to
scope 3 emissions (based
Can customers provide
on screening) or is
energy or GHG data
engagement with customers
yes related to processing yes
otherwise relevant to Use site-specific method
of sold intermediate
the business goals?
products?
no no
Use average-data
method
Site-specific method
To calculate emissions from the processing of sold products by third parties, companies should collect either of the
following types of data from downstream value chain partners:
•• Relevant activity data (e.g., fuel use, electricity use, refrigerant use, and waste) and relevant emission factors for
each downstream process
•• GHG emissions data for each downstream process calculated by downstream value chain partners.
If downstream processes involve intermediate goods and/or material inputs other than those sold by the reporting
company, emissions should be allocated between intermediate product(s) sold by the reporting company and other
intermediate products/material inputs. All processing steps through to the production of the final finished product should
be accounted for within this category. For examples of allocating emissions, refer to chapter 8 of the Scope 3 Standard.

If data cannot be obtained from downstream third party partners, the average data method should be used.

Companies should first collect data on the types and quantities of intermediate goods sold by the reporting company.
Companies should then collect either site-specific GHG emissions data provided by downstream value chain partners or
site-specific activity data from downstream processes, including:
•• Quantities of energy (including electricity and fuels) consumed in process(es)

•• To the extent possible, mass of waste generated in process(es)
•• If applicable, activity data related to non-combustion emissions (i.e., industrial process or fugitive emissions).

If site-specific activity data is collected, companies should also collect:
•• Emission factors for fuels

•• Emission factors for electricity
•• To the extent possible, emission factors for waste outputs
•• If applicable, emission factors related to non-combustion emissions (i.e., industrial process or fugitive emissions).

Companies should collect data on the types and mass of intermediate goods sold by the reporting company from
internal records.
Companies should request either GHG emissions data or activity data from downstream processes from the downstream
value chain partners that control those processes. Downstream partners can obtain this data from, for example:
•• Internal IT systems
•• Purchase receipts
•• Meter readings.
•• The list of data sources provided on the GHG Protocol website (www.ghgprotocol.org/standards/scope-3-standard)
•• Company or manufacturer developed emission factors

Calculation formula [10.1] Site-specific method
CO2e emissions from processing of sold intermediate products =
sum across fuel consumed in the processing of sold intermediate products:

∑ (quantity of fuel consumed (e.g., liter)
× life cycle emission factor for fuel source (e.g., kg CO2e/liter))
+
sum across electricity consumed in the processing of sold intermediate products:
∑ (quantity of electricity consumed (e.g., kWh)
× life cycle emission factor for electricity (e.g., kg CO2e/kWh))
+
sum across refrigerants used in the processing of sold intermediate products:
∑ (quantity of refrigerant leakage (kg) × Global Warming Potential for refrigerant (kg CO2e/kg))
+
sum across process emissions released in the processing of sold intermediate products
+
to the extent possible, sum across waste generated in the in the processing of sold intermediate products:
∑ (mass of waste output (kg) × emission factor for waste activity (kg CO2e/kg))

Example [10.1] Calculating emissions from processing of sold products using the site-specific method
Company A, which produces plastic resin, is an exclusive supplier to Company B, which produces plastic handles for
consumer goods. Company A collects information from Company B regarding the fuel and electricity used and waste
outputs of processing the resin into handles. The information is summarized in the tables below:
Fuel and electricity consumed Amount (kWh) Emission factor (kg CO2e/kWh)
Natural Gas 3,500 0.2
Waste Amount (kg) Emission factor (kg CO2e/kg waste)
Waste products 50 0.5
Emissions are calculated by multiplying activity data by respective emission factors, as follows:
emissions from fuel consumed:

∑ (quantity of fuel consumed (e.g., liter) × emission factor for fuel source (e.g., kg CO2e/liter))
= 3,500 × 0.2
= 700 kg CO2e
emissions from electricity consumed:

∑ (quantity of electricity consumed (e.g., kWh) × emission factor for electricity (e.g., kg CO2e/kWh))
= 2,000 × 0.5
= 1,000 kg CO2e
emissions from waste output:

∑ (mass of waste output (kg) × emission factor for waste activity (kg CO2e/kg))
= 50 × 0.5
= 25 kg CO2e
total emissions from processing of sold intermediate products

= emissions from fuel + emissions from electricity + emissions from waste
= 700 + 1,000 + 25
= 1,725 kg CO2e

Average data method

In this method, companies collect data on the type of downstream process(es) involved in transforming or processing
sold intermediate products into final products and apply relevant industry average emission factors to determine
emissions. The method should be used when it is not possible to collect data from downstream value chain partners.
If the downstream processes use multiple types of inputs, companies should allocate emissions to the intermediate
product sold by the reporting company. See chapter 8 of the Scope 3 Standard for guidance on allocation.

For each type of sold intermediate product, companies should collect data on:
•• The process(es) involved in transforming or processing sold intermediate products into an usable state final product,
subsequent to sale by the reporting company
•• Information needed for allocation (e.g., mass, economic value).

•• Average emission factors for processing stages required to transform the sold intermediate product into a final
product, expressed in units of emissions (e.g., CO2, CH4, N2O) per unit of product (e.g., kg CO2/kg of final product).
Care should be taken when selecting secondary data sources to understand the boundaries of the data and whether
any additional calculation is required to avoid double counting.

•• Purchasing records
•• Internal data systems
•• Industry-average data from associations or databases.

•• The GHG Protocol website (http://www.ghgprotocol.org/calculation-tools/all-tools)
•• Companies or manufacturers
•• GHG Protocol Calculation Tool, “Stationary Combustion GHG Emissions Calculation Tool. Version 2.0. June 2009,”
•• Defra GHG Conversion Factors, developed by the UK Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra),
available at www.defra.gov.uk/environment/business/reporting/conversion-factors.htm.

CO2e emissions from processing of sold intermediate products =
sum across intermediate products:

∑ (mass of sold intermediate product (kg)
× emission factor of processing of sold products (kg CO2e/kg of final product))
Example [10.2] Calculating emissions from processing of sold products using the average data method
Company E is a producer of sugar and an exclusive supplier to Company F, which makes candy. Company F confirms
with Company E that after sugar is purchased, there are further processes before the final candy product is produced.
Company E collects industry average emission factors for the relevant processes. The information is summarized in the
table below:
Process Mass of sold intermediate Emission factor of processing

product (kg) stages (kg CO2e/kg)
Candy mixing, cooking, molding, 1,000 1.5

cooling, wrapping, and packaging
emissions from candy mixing and cooking process:

∑ (mass of sold intermediate product
× emission factor of processing stages (kg CO2e/kg of final product))
= 1,000 × 1.5 = 1,500 kg CO2e

11
Category 11:
Use of Sold Products
T
his category includes emissions from the use of goods and services sold by the reporting
company in the reporting year. A reporting company’s scope 3 emissions from use of
sold products include the scope 1 and scope 2 emissions of end users. End users include
both consumers and business customers that use final products.
The Scope 3 Standard divides emissions from the use of sold products into two types (see also table 11.1):
•• Direct use-phase emissions

•• Indirect use-phase emissions.
In category 11, companies are required to include direct use-phase emissions of sold products. Companies may also
account for indirect use-phase emissions of sold products, and should do so when indirect use-phase emissions are
expected to be significant. See table 11.1 for descriptions and examples of direct and indirect use-phase emissions.
Category 11 includes the total expected lifetime emissions from all relevant products sold in the reporting year across
the company’s product portfolio. (Refer to chapter 5.4 of the Scope 3 Standard for more information on the time
boundary of scope 3 categories.) See box 11.1 in this chapter for an example of reporting product lifetime emissions
and box 11.2 for guidance related to product lifetime and durability. The GHG Protocol Product Standard provides
information on accounting for life cycle GHG emissions from individual products.
Companies may optionally include emissions associated with maintenance of sold products during use.
See section 5.6 of the Scope 3 Standard for guidance on the applicability of category 11 to final products and
intermediate products sold by the reporting company.

CATEGORY 11 Use of Sold Products
Table [11.1] Emissions from use of sold products
Type of Emissions Product Type Examples
Direct use-phase Products that directly consume energy Automobiles, aircraft, engines, motors, power
emissions (required) (fuels or electricity) during use plants, buildings, appliances, electronics, lighting,
data centers, web-based software
Fuels and feedstocks Petroleum products, natural gas, coal, biofuels, and
crude oil
Greenhouse gases and products that CO2, CH4, N2O, HFCs, PFCs, SF6, refrigeration and
contain or form greenhouse gases that air-conditioning equipment, industrial gases, fire
are emitted during use extinguishers, fertilizers
Indirect use-phase Products that indirectly consume energy Apparel (requires washing and drying), food (re-
emissions (optional) (fuels or electricity) during use quires cooking and refrigeration), pots and pans
(require heating), and soaps and detergents (require
heated water)
Calculating emissions from category 11 typically requires product design specifications and assumptions about how
consumers use products (e.g., use profiles, assumed product lifetimes). Companies are required to report a description
of the methodologies and assumptions used to calculate emissions (see chapter 11 of the Scope 3 Standard).
Where relevant, companies should report additional information on product performance when reporting scope
3 emissions to provide additional transparency on steps companies are taking to reduce GHG emissions from sold
products. Such information may include GHG intensity metrics, energy intensity metrics, and annual emissions from the
use of sold products (see section 11.3 of the Scope 3 Standard). See section 9.3 of the Scope 3 Standard for guidance on
recalculating base year emissions when methodologies or assumptions related to category 11 change over time.
Any claims of avoided emissions related to a company’s sold products must be reported separately from the company’s
scope 1, scope 2, and scope 3 inventories. (For more information, see section 9.5 of the Scope 3 Standard)
Box [11.1] Example of reporting product lifetime emissions
An automaker sells 1 million cars in 2010. Each car has an expected lifetime of 10 years. The company reports the
anticipated use-phase emissions of the 1 million cars it sold in 2010 over their 10-year expected lifetime. The company
also reports corporate average fuel economy (km per liter) and corporate average emissions (kg CO2e/km) as relevant
emissions-intensity metrics.
Source: Box 5.7 from the Scope 3 Standard.

Box [11.2] Product lifetime and durability
Because the scope 3 inventory accounts for total lifetime emissions of sold products, companies that produce more
durable products with longer lifetimes could appear to be penalized because, as product lifetimes increase, scope
3 emissions increase, assuming all else is constant. To reduce the potential for emissions data to be misinterpreted,
companies should also report relevant information such as product lifetimes and emissions intensity metrics to
demonstrate product performance over time. Relevant emissions intensity metrics may include annual emissions
per product, energy efficiency per product, emissions per hour of use, emissions per kilometer driven, emissions per
functional unit, etc.
Source: Box 5.8 from the Scope 3 Standard.
This section provides guidance of the following:
•• What should be included in the emissions from use of sold products

•• Guidance on what to include in a use profile
•• Reporting guidance
•• Guidance on how to assess uncertainty on the product’s use profile.
Calculating emissions from use of sold products

This guidance provides calculation methods to calculate a company’s:
•• Direct use-phase emissions

•• Indirect use-phase emissions.
Calculation methods for direct use-phase emissions

Companies should first determine in which categories their products belong. The following products have direct-use
phase emissions:
•• Products that directly consume energy (fuels or electricity) during use: involves breaking down the use phase,
measuring emissions per product, and aggregating emissions
•• Fuels and feedstocks: involves collecting fuel use data and multiplying them by representative fuel emission
factors
•• Greenhouse gases and products that contain or form greenhouse gases that are emitted during use: involves
collecting data on the GHG contained in the product and multiplying them by the percent of GHGs released and GHG
emission factors.
If a company sells a large selection of products, or if the use phase of multiple products is similar, it may choose to
group similar products and use average statistics for a typical product in the product group. For example, a fast-moving
consumer goods company selling carbonated drinks may decide to group products by packaging types and treat all
products within that group with the same use profile.

Calculation method for direct use-phase emissions from products that directly consume energy
(fuels or electricity) during use
In this method, the company multiplies the lifetime number of uses of each product by the amount sold and an
emission factor per use. Companies should then aggregate use-phase emissions of all products.

•• Total lifetime expected uses of product(s)
•• Quantities of products sold
•• Fuel used per use of product
•• Electricity consumption per use of product
•• Refrigerant leakage per use of product.

•• Life cycle emission factors for fuels
•• Life cycle emission factors for electricity
•• Global warming potential of refrigerants.

••Data sources for activity data include:
••Internal data systems
••Sales records
••Surveys
••Industry associations.
•• The GHG Protocol website (www.ghgprotocol.org)

•• Company or supplier developed emission factors
It is important to consider the region where products are used, especially if the product consumes electricity because
electricity grid emission factors can vary significantly. If its product is used globally, a company may consider using
a global average electricity emission factor but estimating product use at a more granular level (either regional or
national) and applying regional or national electricity grid emission factors would result in more accurate emissions
estimates for this category. Scenario uncertainty can also be helpful here.

Calculation formula [11.1] D

irect use-phase emissions from products that directly consume energy
CO2e emissions from use of sold products =
sum across fuels consumed from use of products:

∑ (total lifetime expected uses of product × number sold in reporting period
× fuel consumed per use (kWh) × emission factor for fuel (kg CO2e/kWh))
+
sum across electricity consumed from use of products:
× electricity consumed per use (kWh) × emission factor for electricity (kg CO2e/kWh))
+
sum across refrigerant leakage from use of products:
× refrigerant leakage per use (kg) × global warming potential (kg CO2e/kg))
Example [11.1] Calculating direct use-phase emissions from products that directly consume energy
Company A is a manufacturer of electrical appliances such as washing machines and irons. It collects sales records of
quantities sold as well as average lifetime uses for each of its products. It sources data on electricity consumed per use from
industry reports and electricity emission factors from government data. The results are summarized in the table below:
Electricity Electricity emission

Total uses
Product Number sold consumed per use factor (kg CO2e/kWh)
over lifetime
(kWh)
Washing machine 1,000 11,500 1.3 0.5

X100
Washing machine 1,100 1,900 1.5 0.5

X200
Iron Y123 2,000 20,000 0.2 0.5

Example [11.1] Calculating direct use-phase emissions from products that directly consume energy (fuels or
electricity) during use (continued)
Emissions for each product are calculated using the following formula:

× electricity consumed per use (kWh) × emission factor for electricity (kg CO2e/kWh))
Washing machine X100:

= 1,000 × 11,500 × 1.3 × 0.5 = 7,475,000 kg CO2e
Washing machine X200:

= 1,100 × 1,900 × 1.5 × 0.5 = 1,567,500 kg CO2e
Iron Y123:
= 2,000 × 20,000 × 0.2 × 0.5 = 4,000,000 kg CO2e
total emissions from use of sold products

= emissions from X100 + emissions from X200 + emissions from Y123
= 7,475,000 + 1,567,500 + 4,000,000 = 13,042,500 kg CO2e
Calculation method for direct use-phase emissions from fuels and feedstocks
Feedstock refers to starting materials that are used to make fuels, power and/or products. These may include biomass
for producing power, crops for producing biofuels, or crude oil for producing plastic products. If the reporting company
is a producer of fuels and/or feedstocks, the use-phase emissions are calculated by multiplying the quantities of fuels/
feedstocks by the combustion emission factors for the fuels/feedstocks. If the feedstock is not combusted during the
use phase, no emissions should be calculated.
Note that only the combustion emissions should be reported in this category, not the upstream emissions associated with
the feedstock/fuel. This method avoids double counting as the upstream emissions associated with the production of the
feedstock/fuel were already included in the reporting company’s scope 1 and scope 2, as well as other scope 3 categories.

•• Total quantities of fuels/feedstocks sold.

•• Combustion emission factors of fuel/feedstock.


Combustion emission factors for fuel/feedstock are well documented by many internationally recognized sources such
as the IPCC Fourth Assessment Report and those factors included in the GHG Protocol calculation tools. In practice, the
emissions vary between applications and countries based on the following:
•• Technology: the completeness of combustion may vary from application to application

•• Exact fuel mix: the precise fuel mix may vary from region to region and company to company; for example, the
types of aromatic hydrocarbon mixed with gasoline may alter the combustion emissions.
Because of this variation companies should use the most representative emission factors for their fuel.
Calculation formula 11.2: Direct use-phase emissions from combusted fuels and feedstocks
CO2e emissions from fuel =
sum across fuels/feedstocks:

∑ (total quantity of fuel/feedstock sold (e.g., kWh)
× combustion emission factor for fuel/feedstock (e.g., kg CO2e/kWh))
Calculation method for direct use-phase emissions from greenhouse gases and products that contain or
form greenhouse gases that are emitted during use
Some products may contain GHGs which are emitted during use or at the end of the product’s useful life (e.g. products
that contain refrigerents).
If the reporting company is a producer of products containing GHGs, use-phase emissions are calculated by multiplying
the quantities of products sold by the percentage of GHGs released per unit of GHG contained in the product and by
the global warming potential (GWP) of the greenhouse gases released.

•• Total quantities of products sold
•• Quantities of GHGs contained per product
•• Percentage of GHGs released throughout the lifetime of the product.

•• GWP of the GHGs contained in the product, expressed in units of carbon dioxide per unit kilogram of the GHG (e.g.,
25 kg CO2e/kg)
Note: If different GHGs are released by the product, the total carbon dioxide equivalent should be reported and the
breakdown of GHGs (e.g., CO2, CH4, N2O) may be reported separately (see chapter 8 of the Scope 3 Standard).
The company should first account for all the different types of GHGs contained in a product, then aggregate for all
products. If the use phase of a product is likely to be similar for multiple products, companies may group similar products.

Calculation formula [11.3] D

irect use-phase emissions from greenhouse gases and products that contain or
form greenhouse gases that are emitted during use
CO2e emissions from greenhouse gases and products that contain or form greenhouse gases
that are emitted during use =
sum across GHGs released in a product or product group:

∑ (GHG contained per product × Total Number of products sold
× % of GHG released during lifetime use of product × GWP of the GHG)
then:
sum across products or product groups:
∑ (use phase emissions from product or product group 1,2,3…)
Note: if the % released is unknown 100% should be assumed.
Calculation methods for indirect use-phase emissions
Calculation method for indirect use-phase emissions from products that indirectly consume energy (fuels or
electricity) during use
For products that indirectly consume energy or emit GHGs (see table 11.1), the reporting company should calculate
emissions by creating or obtaining a typical use-phase profile over the lifetime of the product and multiplying by
relevant emission factors.

•• Average number of uses over lifetime of product
•• Average use scenarios (e.g., weighted average of scenarios)
•• Fuel consumed in use scenarios
•• Electricity consumed in use scenarios
•• Refrigerant leakage in use scenarios
•• GHGs emitted indirectly in use scenarios.

•• Combustion emission factors of fuels and electricity.
Ideally agreement should be reached by a sector (e.g., industry associations and trade bodies) on common rules for use-
phase assumptions. These assumptions can then be verified by an independent third party to improve consistency and
comparability.
The emission factors applied should be representative of the geography of where the product is sold as well as the
reporting year.


The generation of a typical use phase may be difficult because the same product may consume more or less energy
depending on the conditions in which it is used. For example, a potato may be roasted, boiled, or microwaved, each
cooking method using a different amount of energy and thus producing different levels of emissions.
Therefore, it is important to generate a use profile that is representative of use scenarios over the lifetime of the
product by the intended consumer population. These may come from sources such as:
•• Industry recognized benchmark testing specifications

•• Product category rules
•• Previous emissions studies
•• Consumer studies.
Companies may choose to identify several different use-phase scenarios for a product and create a weighted average
based upon actual activity.
Calculation formula [11.4] I ndirect use-phase emissions from products that indirectly consume energy
Indirect use-phase CO2e emissions of products =
sum across fuels consumed from use scenarios:

∑ (total lifetime expected uses of product × % of total lifetime uses using this scenario
× number sold in reporting period × fuel consumed per use in this scenario (e.g., kWh)
× emission factor for fuel (e.g., kg CO2e/kWh))
+
sum across electricity consumed from use scenarios:
× number sold in reporting period × electricity consumed per use in this scenario (kWh)
× emission factor for electricity (kg CO2e/kWh))
+
sum across refrigerant leakage from use scenarios:
× number sold in reporting period × refrigerant leakage per use in this scenario (kg)
× emission factor for refrigerant (kg CO2e/kg))
+
sum across GHG emitted indirectly from use scenarios:
× number sold in reporting period × GHG emitted indirectly (kg) × GWP of the GHG)

Example [11.2] C
alculating indirect use-phase emissions from products that indirectly consume energy
Company A produces laundry soap, which indirectly entails consumption of electricity during the use phase. Company A
collects data from consumer journals regarding the average consumer behavior in washing clothes and obtains average
electricity emission factors from life cycle databases. The data is summarized in the table below:
Usage Lifetime uses Consumers using Products Electricity Emission

tempera- per product temperature sold consumed factor
ture setting (washes) setting (percent) per use (kWh) (kg CO2e/kWh)
30°C cotton 20 0.40 0.5

wash
40°C cotton 1,000 40 2,000 0.50 0.5

wash
90°C cotton 40 1.20 0.5

wash
emissions for each use phase scenario is calculated as follows:

30°C cotton wash: 1,000 × 0.2 × 2,000 × 0.4 × 0.5 = 80,000 kg CO2e
total emissions from use of sold products

= emissions from 30°C + emissions from 40°C + emissions from 90°C
= 80,000 + 200,000 + 480,000 = 760,000 kg CO2e

Calculation method for sold intermediate products

When a company sells an intermediate product that directly emits GHGs in its use phase, it is required to account for
direct use-phase emissions of the intermediate product by the end user, (i.e., emissions resulting from: the use of the
sold intermediate product that directly consumes fuel or electricity during use; fuels and feedstocks; GHGs released
during product use). Companies may optionally include the indirect use-phase emissions of sold intermediate products.
In certain cases, the eventual end use of sold intermediate products may be unknown. For example, a company
may produce an intermediate product with many potential downstream applications, each of which has a different
GHG emissions profile and be unable to reasonably estimate the downstream emissions associated with the various
possible end uses. In such a case, companies may disclose and justify the exclusion of all downstream emissions
related to sold intermediate products. For more information, see section 6.4 of the Scope 3 Standard (Accounting for
downstream emissions).

•• Type(s) of final product(s) produced from reporting company’s intermediate product(s)
•• Percentage of reporting company’s intermediate product sales going to each type of final product
•• Activity data required to calculate the use-phase emission of the final product will be the same as described
previously in this chapter.

•• Depending on the type of final product, emission factors required will be the same as described earlier in
this chapter.
Calculation formula [11.5] Use-phase emissions from sold intermediate products
Use-phase CO2e emissions of sold intermediate products =
sum across sold intermediate products total use phase emissions:

∑ (total intermediate products sold × total lifetime uses of final sold product
× emissions per use of sold intermediate product (kg CO2e/use))

Example [11.3] Calculating use-phase emissions from sold intermediate products
Company A manufactures engines used in airplanes. It sold 10 engines to an airplane manufacturer.
Number Weight of Weight of Total lifetime uses Emissions per use

of engines each airplane each engine of final products of final product
sold (tonnes) (tonnes) (km flown by airplane) (kg CO2e/km flown)
10 500 20 300,000 0.3
Note: The activity data and emissions factors are illustrative only, and do not refer to actual data
Company A works out the direct use-phase emissions of its sold engines as follows:
total use phase emissions = ∑ (total intermediate products sold
× total lifetime uses of final sold product
× emissions per use of sold intermediate product (kg CO2e/use)
× (weight of engine / weight of airplane))
20
= (10 × 300,000 × 0.3 × ( )) = 36,000 kg CO2e
500
In this example, physical allocation is most suitable. The allocation is based on the weight of the engine as a proportion
of the total weight of the airplane. For allocation rules refer to section 8 of the Scope 3 Standard.

12
Category 12:
End-of-Life Treatment
of Sold Products
C
ategory 12 includes emissions from the waste disposal and treatment of products
sold by the reporting company (in the reporting year) at the end of their life. This
category includes the total expected end-of-life emissions from all products sold in
the reporting year. (See section 5.4 of the Scope 3 Standard for more information on the time
boundary of scope 3 categories.)
End-of-life treatment methods (e.g., landfilling, incineration, and recycling) are described in category 5 (Waste
generated in operations) and apply to both category 5 and category 12. Calculating emissions from category 12
requires assumptions about the end-of-life treatment methods used by consumers. Companies are required to report a
description of the methodologies and assumptions used to calculate emissions (see chapter 11 of the Scope 3 Standard).
For sold intermediate products, companies should account for the emissions from disposing of the intermediate
product at the end of its life, not the final product.

CATEGORY 12 End-of-Life Treatment of Sold Products
Calculating emissions from end-of-life treatment of sold products

The emissions from downstream end-of-life treatment of sold products should follow the calculation methods in
category 5 (Waste generated in operations), with the difference that instead of collecting data on total mass of waste
generated in operations, companies should collect data on total mass of sold products (and packaging) from the point
of sale by the reporting company through the end of life after use by consumers.
The major difference between calculating upstream and downstream emissions of waste treatment is likely to be the
availability and quality of waste activity data. Whereas the reporting company is likely have specific waste type and
waste treatment data from its own operations, this information is likely to be more difficult to obtain for sold products.
Although the reporting company may know the product’s components, it may not know how the waste-disposal
behavior of consumers and retailers varies across geographic regions.
If the reporting company sells intermediate products, it is required to account for emissions from disposing of the sold
intermediate products at the end of their life.

•• Total mass of sold products and packaging from the point of sale by the reporting company to the end-of-life after
consumer use (e.g., packaging used to transport products through to the point of retail and any packaging that is
disposed of prior to the end-of-life of the final product
•• Proportion of this waste being treated by different methods (e.g., percent landfilled, incinerated, recycled).

•• Average waste-treatment specific-emission factors based on all waste treatment types.
When collecting data on total waste produced, the reporting company should collect data on the waste type(s) and
amounts after it sells the products through to the end-of-life disposal by consumers. This data should include any
packaging and product waste. For food and drink items, companies should refer to average proportion of food/drinks
wasted. In many cases, total waste will be equal to the total products sold in reporting year. However, if the product
is actually consumed (e.g., food and drink) the total waste is likely to be lower, and in other cases, such as products
combusted to generate energy, could even be zero.
When collecting data on the proportion of waste treated by different methods, companies may refer to:
•• Company’s own research and internal data on how its products are treated after consumption
•• Specific government directives on waste treatment of certain products (e.g., the European Union’s “Waste Electrical
and Electronic Equipment Directive”)
•• Industry associations or organizations that have conducted research into consumer disposal patterns of specific products
•• Average data on waste treatment from the point that the products are sold by the reporting company through to
the end of life after consumer use.

CATEGORY 12 End-of-Life Treatment of Sold Products
•• The European Union publishes data on average end-of-life treatment scenarios of different product groups in EU
member countries (see http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page/portal/waste/introduction/)
•• The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency also publishes data on waste generation, recycling, and disposal statistics,
available at: http://www.epa.gov/osw/nonhaz/municipal/msw99.htm
•• Waste Resources and Action Programme (WRAP) publishes average food and drinks waste as a proportion of
purchased amount in the UK economy, which may be used in the absence of product-specific data (see http://www.
wrap.org.uk/retail_supply_chain/research_tools/research/report_household.html).
Calculation formula [12.1] Waste-type-specific method
CO2e emissions from end-of-life treatment of sold products =
sum across waste treatment methods:

∑ (total mass of sold products and packaging from point of sale to end of life after consumer use (kg)
× % of total waste being treated by waste treatment method
× emission factor of waste treatment method (kg CO2e/kg))
Example [12.1] Calculating emissions from the end-of-life treatment of sold products
Company A sells paper that is laminated in a way that does not allow recycling. In the reporting period, Company A sold
10,000 tonnes of product. The company conducts consumer research to understand the disposal methods used by
end consumers. The company also collects data for emission factors associated with each of the disposal methods for
laminated paper products from a life cycle assessment database:
Mass of waste Waste treatment Proportion of Emission factor of waste

after consumer use waste produced treatment method (kg
(kg) (percent) CO2e/kg )
Landfill 90 0.3
10,000 Incinerated 10 1.0
Recycled 0 0.0
∑ (total mass of sold products at end of life after consumer use (kg)
× % of total waste being treated by waste treatment method
× emission factor of waste treatment method (kg CO2e/kg))
= (10,000 × 90% × 0.3) + (10,000 × 10% × 1) + (10,000 × 0% × 0) = 3,700 kg CO2e

13
Category 13:
Downstream Leased Assets
T
his category includes emissions from the operation of assets that are owned by the
reporting company (acting as lessor) and leased to other entities in the reporting
year that are not already included in scope 1 or scope 2. This category is applicable to
lessors (i.e., companies that receive payments from lessees). Companies that operate leased
assets (i.e., lessees) should refer to category 8 (Upstream leased assets).
Leased assets may be included in a company’s scope 1 or scope 2 inventory depending on the type of lease and the
consolidation approach the company uses to define its organizational boundaries. (See section 5.2 of the Scope 3
Standard for more information.) If the reporting company leases an asset for only part of the reporting year, the
reporting company should account for emissions from the portion of the year that the asset was leased. See Appendix
A of the Scope 3 Standard for more information on accounting for emissions from leased assets.
In some cases, companies may not find value in distinguishing between products sold to customers (accounted for in
category 11) and products leased to customers (accounted for in category 13). A company may account for products
leased to customers in the same way it accounts for products sold to customers (i.e., by accounting for the total
expected lifetime emissions from all relevant products leased to other entities in the reporting year). Companies should
report emissions from leased products in category 11 (Use of sold products), rather than category 13 (Downstream
leased assets) and avoid double counting between categories.
A reporting company’s scope 3 emissions from downstream leased assets include the scope 1 and scope 2 emissions of
lessees (depending on the lessee’s consolidation approach).

CATEGORY 13 Downstream Leased Assets
Calculating emissions from leased assets

Downstream leased assets differ from upstream leased assets in that the leased assets are owned by the reporting
company. The availability and access to information depends on the type of asset leased. For example, a company that
leases vehicles may need to request fuel or mileage data from lessees in order to calculate emissions.
The calculation methods for upstream and downstream leased assets do not differ. For guidance on calculating
emissions from category 13 (Downstream leased assets), refer to the guidance for category 8 (Upstream leased assets).
Companies requesting scope 1 and scope 2 data from lessees using the asset-specific method in category 8 (Upstream
leased assets) may need to request additional information from the lessee in order to properly allocate emissions to
the reporting company’s leased assets. The lessee’s scope 1 and scope 2 emissions data maybe aggregated, as with
buildings without sub-metering. The reporting company may need to allocate these emissions in order to calculate
emissions from this category. For guidance on collecting data and allocating emissions, refer to chapter 7 and chapter 8
of the Scope 3 Standard.
Example [13.1] Calculating the emissions from downstream leased assets
Company C (lessor) leases out a factory (factory 1) to Company D. Company D (lessee) knows its aggregated corporate
scope 1 and scope 2 emissions of both factory 1 and a separate unit it operates, Factory 2. For company C to determine
emissions associated with factory 1, it must allocate total emissions from both factories. It chooses to allocate based on
physical allocation (i.e., floor space). The floor space of factory 1 is 5,000 m2 and factory 2 is 10,000 m2.
The data is summarized in the table below:
Combined scope 1 and scope 2 emissions Floor space (m2)

(kg CO2e)
Factory 1 5,000
9,000
Factory 2 10,000
Note: The activity data and emissions factors are illustrative only, and do not refer to actual data
The emissions of company C’s (lessor) downstream leased asset is calculated as follows:
∑ scope 1 and scope 2 emissions of lessee (kg CO2e)
physical area of the leased asset (e.g., area, volume)

×
total physical area of lessor assets (e.g., area, volume)
= 9,000 × (5,000 / 15,000) = 3,000 kg CO2e

14
Category 14:
Franchises
C
ategory 14 includes emissions from the operation of franchises not included in scope
1 or scope 2. A franchise is a business operating under a license to sell or distribute
another company’s goods or services within a certain location. This category is
applicable to franchisors (i.e., companies that grant licenses to other entities to sell or distribute
its goods or services in return for payments, such as royalties for the use of trademarks and
other services). Franchisors should account for emissions that occur from the operation of
franchises (i.e., the scope 1 and scope 2 emissions of franchisees) in this category.
Franchisees (i.e., companies that operate franchises and pay fees to a franchisor) should include emissions from
operations under their control in this category if they have not included those emissions in scope 1 and scope 2 due to
their choice of consolidation approach. Franchisees may optionally report upstream scope 3 emissions associated with
the franchisor’s operations (i.e., the scope 1 and scope 2 emissions of the franchisor) in category 1 (Purchased goods
and services).
Calculating emissions from franchises

Companies may use either of two methods to calculate emissions from franchises:
•• Franchise-specific method, which involves collecting site-specific activity data or scope 1 and scope 2 emissions
data from franchisees
•• Average-data method, which involves estimating emissions for each franchise, or groups of franchises, based on
average statistics, such as average emissions per franchise type or floor space.

CATEGORY 14 Franchises
Franchise-specific method
The franchise-specific method involves collecting scope 1 and scope 2 emissions from franchisees. If franchisees have
conducted corporate scope 1 and scope 2 GHG inventory report(s), the data can be applied immediately. If such reports
are not available, site-specific fuel and energy data from individual franchises should be collected. The reporting
company should determine whether the franchisee delivers business solely for the reporting company (i.e., franchisor),
and if not, the franchisee or the reporting company should allocate the emissions accordingly. Guidance on allocation is
provided in chapter 8 of the Scope 3 Standard.
If significant upstream emissions result from the purchase of goods and services by franchisees, the franchisor
developing the scope 3 inventory should include these emissions in this category. For example, a large fast-food
franchise should account for the upstream emissions associated with the beef purchased by its franchise restaurants.

Companies should collect data on either:
•• Scope 1, scope 2, and (optionally) scope 3 emissions data from franchisees

•• Site-specific fuel use, electricity use, and process and fugitive emissions activity data if applicable.

If collecting fuel and energy data, companies should also collect:
•• Site- or regionally-specific emission factors for energy sources (e.g., electricity and fuels) per unit of consumption
•• Emission factors of process emissions and fugitive emissions (e.g., refrigeration and air conditioning)
•• Upstream emission factors.

•• Data sources for activity data include:
•• Public GHG inventory reports accessible through GHG reporting programs
•• The GHG Protocol websites (http://www.ghgprotocol.org/calculation-tools/all-tools and http://www.ghgprotocol.

•• Company-specific emission factors

Calculation formula [14.1] Franchise-specific method
CO2e emissions from franchises =
sum across franchises:

∑ (scope 1 emissions + scope 2 emissions of each franchise (kg CO2e))
To calculate scope 3 emissions from franchises, aggregate the scope 1 and scope 2 emissions of all franchises, using the
formula above.
Franchises that operate in a portion of a building where energy use is not separately sub-metered may estimate
energy consumed using the franchise’s share of the building’s total floor space and total building energy use,
following this formula:
Calculation formula [14.2] Allocating emissions from franchise buildings that are not sub-metered
CO2e emissions allocated to franchise =
energy use from franchise (kWh)

franchise’s area (m2)
= × building’s total energy use (kWh)
Using Samples
If a company has a large number of individual franchises, it may not be practical to collect data from each franchise.
Therefore, companies may use appropriate sampling techniques when collecting data to represent all franchises from a
representative sample of franchises. See Appendix A for more information on sampling.
Companies may also choose to categorize franchises into similar groups for data collection. The grouping strategy
should group franchises with similar anticipated emissions intensities. Below is a non-exclusive list of possible ways to
group franchises:
•• Location, (e.g., country – particularly if electricity emission factors differ significantly among countries)
•• Building type (e.g., free-standing buildings; leased shop space in shopping centres; shop-front at base of a larger city
building)
•• Floor space
•• Financial turnover
•• Product volume
•• Customer numbers
•• Distinctive characteristics (e.g., gyms with saunas, hotels with pools).

Calculation formula [14.3] Extrapolating emissions from sample groups
Step 1: aggregation of franchise emissions per group:
total emissions from sampled franchises within group

total number of franchises within group
×
number of franchises sampled within group
Step 2: aggregation of total franchise emissions across all groups:
∑ total scope 1 and scope 2 emissions from each asset group
Companies that extrapolate from a representative sample within a franchise group should use the formula 14.2
to calculate emissions from sampled franchises within a group, then apply the formula in Step 1 above to estimate
emissions for a franchise group. Companies should then use the formula in Step 2 above to aggregate franchise groups
to the company’s total emissions from franchises.
Example [14.1] Calculating the emissions from franchises using the franchise-specific method
Company A has multiple franchisees that operate restaurants. Company A requests the total scope 1 and scope 2
emissions of each of the franchisees:
Franchisee Scope 1 emissions (kg CO2e) Scope 2 emissions (kg CO2e)
1 100,000 20,000
2 25,000 10,000
3 30,000 10,000
4 90,000 30,000
5 30,000 10,000
Note: emissions are for illustrative purposes only, and do not refer to actual data.
company A can then perform the following calculation:

∑ total scope 1 and scope 2 emissions from franchisees (kg CO2e)
= (100,000 + 20,000) + (25,000 + 10,000) + (30,000 + 10,000) + (90,000 + 30,000) + (30,000 + 10,000)
= 355,000 kg CO2e

Average-data method
The average-data approach involves estimating emissions for each franchise, or groups of franchises, based on
average statistics, such as average emissions per building type, floor space, or franchise type. This approach should be
used when purchase records, electricity bills, or meter readings of fuel or energy use are not available or applicable.
Approaches include:
•• Estimated emissions based on occupied floor space by building type

•• Estimated emissions based on number and type of franchises.
Note that the average-data approach may be relatively inaccurate and limits the ability of companies to track
performance of GHG reduction actions.

Depending on the type of asset that is leased, companies may need to collect data on:
•• Floor space of each franchise, by floor space

•• Number of franchises, by building type
•• Number of franchise assets that give rise to GHG emissions (e.g., company cars, trucks).

Depending on the type of asset that is leased companies may need to collect:
•• Average emission factors by floor space, expressed in units of emissions per area per time period
(e.g., kg CO2e/m2/day)
•• Average emission factors by building type, expressed in units of emissions per building per time period
(e.g., kg CO2e/small office block/year)
•• Emission factors by asset type, expressed in units of emissions per asset type per time period (e.g., kg CO2e/car/year).

•• Industry bodies (e.g., building industry)

•• National statistics published by government agencies
•• The U.S. Energy Information Administration dataset on average energy use by building type, Commercial Buildings
Energy Consumption Survey, at: http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cbecs.
Calculation formula [14.4] Average data method for leased buildings (if floor space data is available)
sum across building types:

∑ (total floor space of building type (m ) × average emission factor for building type (kg CO2e/m2/year))
2

Calculation formula [14.5] Average data method for other asset types or for leased buildings where floor
space data is not available
sum across building/asset types:

∑ (number of buildings or assets
× average emissions per building or asset type per year (kg CO2e/building or asset type/year))
Example 14.2: Calculating the emissions from franchises using the average data method
Company A has multiple franchisees that operate a combination of food outlets and clothing outlets. To calculate
emissions from franchises, Company A collects the following data:
Franchisee Type Shop area (m2) Emission factor (kg CO2e/m2/year)
1 Food outlet 100 30,000
2 Food outlet 150 30,000
3 Clothing outlet 400 10,000

Note that all emissions factors are used for illustrative purposes only
Company A can then perform the following calculation:
emissions from franchises

= ∑ (building or type × average emissions per building or asset type (kg CO2e/building or asset type))
= (100 × 30,000) + (150 × 30,000) + (400 × 10,000) + (700 × 10,000) + (500 × 10,000)
= 23,500,000 kg CO2e

15
Category 15:
Investments
T
his category includes scope 3 emissions associated with the reporting company’s
investments in the reporting year, not already included in scope 1 or scope 2.
This category is applicable to investors (i.e., companies that make an investment
with the objective of making a profit) and companies that provide financial services. This
category also applies to investors that are not profit driven (e.g. multilateral development
banks), and the same calculation methods should be used. Investments are categorized as
a downstream scope 3 category because providing capital or financing is a service provided
by the reporting company.
Category 15 is designed primarily for private financial institutions (e.g., commercial banks), but is also relevant to public
financial institutions (e.g., multilateral development banks, export credit agencies) and other entities with investments
not included in scope 1 and scope 2.
Investments may be included in a company’s scope 1 or scope 2 inventory depending on how the company defines its
organizational boundaries. For example, companies that use the equity-share approach include emissions from equity
investments in scope 1 and scope 2. Companies that use a control approach account only for those equity investments
that are under the company’s control in scope 1 and scope 2. Investments not included in the company’s scope 1 or
scope 2 emissions are included in scope 3, in this category. A reporting company’s scope 3 emissions from investments
are the scope 1 and scope 2 emissions of investees.

CATEGORY 15 Investments
For purposes of GHG accounting, this standard divides financial investments into four types:
•• Equity investments
•• Debt investments
•• Project finance
•• Managed investments and client services.
Tables 15.1 and 15.2 provide GHG accounting guidance for each type of financial investment. Table 15.1 provides the
types of investments required to be accounted for in this category. Table 15.2 identifies types of investments that
companies may optionally report.
Emissions from investments should be allocated to the reporting company based on the reporting company’s
proportional share of investment in the investee. Because investment portfolios are dynamic and can change frequently
throughout the reporting year, companies should identify investments by choosing a fixed point in time, such as
December 31 of the reporting year, or by using a representative average over the course of the reporting year.
Table [15.1] Accounting for emissions from investments (required)
Financial Description GHG accounting approach

investment/ (required)
service
Equity investments Equity investments made by the reporting In general, companies in the financial
company using the company’s own capital and services sector should account for emis-
balance sheet, including: sions from equity investments in scope
1 and scope 2 by using the equity share
•E
quity investments in subsidiaries (or group consolidation approach to obtain represen-
companies) where the reporting company has tative scope 1 and scope 2 inventories. If
financial control (typically more than 50 percent emissions from equity investments are not
ownership) included in scope 1 or scope 2 (because the
reporting company uses either the opera-
•E
quity investments in associate companies (or tional control or financial control consoli-
affiliated companies), where the reporting com- dation approach and does not have control
pany has significant influence but not financial over the investee), account for proportional
control (typically 20-50 percent ownership) scope 1 and scope 2 emissions of equity in-
vestments* that occur in the reporting year
•E
quity investments in joint ventures (non-incor- in scope 3, category 15 (Investments).
porated joint ventures/partnerships/ operations),
where partners have joint financial control
Equity investments made by the reporting If not included in the reporting company’s
company using the company’s own capital and scope 1 and scope 2 inventories: Account
balance sheet, where the reporting company for proportional scope 1 and scope 2 emissions
has neither financial control nor significant of equity investments* that occur in the re-
influence over the emitting entity (and typically porting year in scope 3, category 15 (Invest-
has less than 20 percent ownership). ments). Companies may establish a threshold
(e.g., equity share of 1 percent) below which
the company excludes equity investments
from the inventory, if disclosed and justified.

Table [15.1] Accounting for emissions from investments (required) (continued)

investment/ (required)
service
Debt investments Corporate debt holdings held in the reporting For each year during the term of the
(with known use of company’s portfolio, including corporate debt investment, companies should account for
proceeds) instruments (such as bonds or convertible bonds proportional scope 1 and scope 2 emissions of
prior to conversion) or commercial loans, with relevant projects* that occur in the reporting
known use of proceeds (i.e., where the use of year in scope 3, category 15 (Investments).
proceeds is identified as going to a particular In addition, if the reporting company is an
project, such as to build a specific power plant) initial sponsor or lender of a project: Also ac-
count for the total projected lifetime scope 1
Project finance Long-term financing of projects (e.g., infrastruc- and scope 2 emissions of relevant projects* fi-
ture and industrial projects) by the reporting nanced during the reporting year and report
company as either an equity investor (sponsor) or those emissions separately from scope 3.
debt investor (financier)
Notes:
In the case of insurance companies, insurance premiums should be regarded as the insurance company’s own capital. Therefore equity
investments made by insurance companies using insurance premiums are required to be reported (although companies may establish a
threshold for equity investments). Accounting for emissions from insurance contracts is not required.
*Additional guidance on key concepts italicized is provided below.
• Proportional emissions from equity investments should be allocated to the investor based on the investor’s proportional share of
equity in the investee. Proportional emissions from project finance and debt investments with known use of proceeds should be
allocated to the investor based on the investor’s proportional share of total project costs (total equity plus debt). Companies may
separately report additional metrics, such as total emissions of the investee, the investor’s proportional share of capital investment in
the investee, etc.
• Scope 1 and scope 2 emissions include the direct (scope 1) emissions of the investee or project, as well as the indirect (scope 2) emissions
from the generation of electricity consumed by the investee or project. If relevant, companies should also account for the scope 3 emissions
of the investee or project. For example, if a financial institution provides equity or debt financing to a light bulb manufacturer, the financial
institution is required to account for the proportional scope 1 and scope 2 emissions of the light bulb manufacturer (i.e., direct emissions
during manufacturing and indirect emissions from electricity consumed during manufacturing). The financial institution should account for
the scope 3 emissions of the light bulb producer (e.g., scope 3 emissions from consumer use of light bulbs sold by the manufacturer) when
scope 3 emissions are significant compared to other source of emissions or otherwise relevant
• Relevant projects include those in GHG-intensive sectors (e.g., power generation), projects exceeding a specified emissions threshold
(defined by the company or industry sector), or projects that meet other criteria developed by the company or industry sector.
Companies should account for emissions from the GHG-emitting project financed by the reporting company, regardless of any financial
intermediaries involved in the transaction.
• Total projected lifetime emissions are reported in the initial year the project is financed, not in subsequent years. If a project’s
anticipated lifetime is uncertain, companies may report a range of likely values (e.g., for a coal-fired power plant, a company may
report a range over a 30- to 60-year time period). Companies should report the assumptions used to estimate total anticipated lifetime
emissions. If project financing occurs only once every few years, emissions from project finance may fluctuate significantly from year
to year. Companies should provide appropriate context in the public report (e.g., by highlighting exceptional or non-recurring project
financing). See section 5.4 of the Scope 3 Standard for more information on the time boundary of scope 3 categories.

Table [15.2] Accounting for emissions from investments (optional)

investment/ (optional)
service
Debt investments General corporate purposes debt holdings (such as bonds or Companies may account for scope 1
(without known loans) held in the reporting company’s portfolio where the and scope 2 emissions of the invest-
use of proceeds) use of proceeds is not specified ee that occur in the reporting year in
scope 3, category 15 (Investments)
Managed Investments managed by the reporting company on behalf Companies may account for
investments and of clients (using clients’ capitala) or services provided by the emissions from managed invest-
client services reporting company to clients, including: ments and client services in scope 3,
category 15 (Investments)
• Investment and asset management (equity or fixed income
funds managed on behalf of clients, using clients’ capital)
• Corporate underwriting and issuance for clients seeking

equity or debt capital
• Financial advisory services for clients seeking assistance

with mergers and acquisitions or requesting other advisory
services
Other All other types of investments, financial contracts, or Companies may account for
investments or financial services not included above (e.g., pension funds, emissions from other investments in
financial services retirement accounts, securitized products, insurance con- scope 3, category 15 (Investments)
tracts, credit guarantees, financial guarantees, export credit
insurance, credit default swaps, etc.)

Notes:
a. Client’s capital in this context refers to any capital that is not the reporting company’s own capital, e.g., equity and fixed income fund
managers investing the capital of the fund’s investors.
This document provides detailed guidance only on the types of investments required to be reported in a scope 3
inventory (see table 15.1), it does not provide calculation guidance for many of the investment types that may be
optionally reported. See table15.2. GHG Protocol may develop further guidance for calculating category 15 emissions.
Check the GHG Protocol website for the latest guidance for accounting for GHG emissions associated with lending and
investments: http://www.ghgprotocol.org/feature/financial-sector-guidance-corporate-value-chain-scope-3-accounting-
and-reporting.
Because financial services companies may have a large number of investments, investments should be screened to
prioritize investments that are likely to contribute most significantly to total GHG emissions. It is recommended that a
screening, using the average-data methods described below, be carried out as a first step to calculating emissions from
investments. This screening should enable financial institutions to identify their investments with the highest emissions
and focus on these for primary data collection.

Calculating emissions from equity investments

It is a requirement of the Scope 3 Standard to report emissions from equity investments made by the reporting company
using the company’s own capital and balance sheet, including:
•• Equity investments in subsidiaries (or group companies), where the reporting company has financial control
(typically more than 50 percent ownership)
•• Equity investments in associate companies (or affiliated companies), where the reporting company has significant
influence but not financial control (typically 20-50 percent ownership)
•• Equity investments in joint ventures (non-incorporated joint ventures/partnerships/ operations), where partners
have joint financial control
•• Equity investments where the reporting company has neither financial control nor significant influence over the
emitting entity (and typically has less than 20 percent ownership). For these equity investments, companies may
establish a threshold (e.g., equity share of 1 percent) below which the company excludes equity investments from
the inventory, if disclosed and justified.
Companies should account for the proportional scope 1 and scope 2 emissions of the investments that occur in the
reporting year. Proportional emissions from equity investments should be allocated to the investor based on the
investor’s proportional share of equity in the investee. Figure 15.1 shows a decision tree for selecting a calculation
method for emissions from equity investments. Companies may use the following methods:
•• Investment-specific method, which involves collecting scope 1 and scope 2 emissions from the investee company
and allocating the emissions based upon the share of investment; or
•• Average-data method, which involves using revenue data combined with EEIO data to estimate the scope 1 and
scope 2 emissions from the investee company and allocating emissions based upon share of investment.
Companies should account for the proportional scope 1 and scope 2 emissions of the investments that occur in the
reporting year. Companies should account for emissions from the GHG-emitting business activity, regardless of any
financial intermediaries involved in the transaction. When scope 3 emissions are significant compared to other sources
of emissions, investors should also account for the scope 3 emissions of the investee company. Calculating GHG
emissions throughout the value chain of investee companies can help the investor understand and manage the climate
change-related risks associated with his or her investments. If the majority of an investee company’s emissions are
associated with its value chain, then only focusing on scope 1 and scope 2 emissions will not provide the full picture of
the company’s risks. If the investor wants to understand the full GHG impact of the investee companies across their full
value chain, for example, to identify hotspots for further engagement, including scope 3 may be more appropriate.
The GHG Protocol does not set a threshold above which scope 3 emissions should be included; instead, reporting
companies should develop their own significance threshold based on their business goals. EEIO data can be used to
quickly estimate the relative size of scope 3 emissions compared to scope 1 and scope 2 emissions for any sector.

Box [15.1] Applicability of calculation methods to managed investments (e.g. mutual funds)
Whether an organization is required to report on equity investments depends on whose capital is being invested. Asset
owners are investing their own capital, so they are required to report emissions from equity investments (although they
may establish a threshold, as described in table 15.1).
Asset managers investing clients’ capital may optionally report on emissions from equity investments managed on behalf
of clients (e.g., mutual funds). Emissions from these types of equity investments can be calculated using the methods
described in this section, however it should be noted that mutual funds and other funds managed on behalf of clients
are not the primary audience for the calculation methods described here and some of their specific issues have not been
addressed, including the business goals relevant to a fund manager and the appropriate use of inventory results.
Figure [15.1] Decision tree for selecting a calculation method for emissions from equity investments
Does the equity investment

contribute significantly
to scope 3 emissions
(based on screening)
or is engagement with
Can the investee Use investment-
the investee company
yes company provide scope 1 yes
otherwise relevant to the specific approach
and scope 2 data?
business goals?
no no
Use average-data
method
Investment-specific method
The investment-specific method involves collecting scope 1 and scope 2 emissions directly from investee companies
and allocating these emissions based upon the proportion of the investment.

•• Scope 1 and scope 2 emissions of investee company

•• The investor’s proportional share of equity in the investee
•• If significant, companies should also collect scope 3 emissions of the investee company (if investee companies are
unable to provide scope 3 emissions data, scope 3 emissions may need to be estimated using the average-data
method described in option 2).


If using the investment-specific method, the reporting company collects emissions data from investees, thus no
emission factors are required.

Sources for data may include:
•• GHG inventory reports of investee companies

•• Financial records of the reporting company.
Calculation formula [15.1] Investment-specific method for calculating emissions from equity investments
Emissions from equity investments =
sum across equity investments:

∑ (scope 1 and scope 2 emissions of equity investment × share of equity (%))
Example [15.1] Calculating emissions from equity investments using the investment-specific method
Company A has two subsidiaries and two joint ventures. Company A used the control approach to determine its
boundaries, so it did not include these subsidiaries and joint ventures in its scope 1 and scope 2 emissions inventory.
Company A, therefore, includes emissions associated with these four investments in its scope 3 inventory. Company A
collects scope 1 and scope 2 emissions associated with the investments from the GHG inventory reports of the investees,
and obtains information on the share of the investments from its financial records.
Investment Investment type Scope 1 and scope 2 emissions Reporting company’s

of investee company in reporting share of equity (percent)
year (tonnes CO2e)
1 Equity Investment in 120,000 40

subsidiary
2 Equity Investment in 200,000 15

subsidiary
3 Equity investment in 1,600,000 25

joint venture
4 Equity investment in 60,000 25

joint venture
Note: The data are illustrative only, and do not refer to actual data.

Example [15.1] C
alculating emissions from equity investments using the investment-specific method
(continued)
emissions from equity investments:

∑ (scope 1 and scope 2 emissions of equity investment × share of equity (%))
= (120,000 × 40%) + (200,000 × 15%) + (1,600,000 × 25%) + (60,000 × 25%)
= 48,000 + 30,000 + 400,000 + 15,000
= 493,000 tonnes CO2e
Average-data method
The average-data method uses Environmentally-extended input-output (EEIO) data to estimate the scope 1 and scope
2 emissions associated with equity investments. The revenue of the investee company should be multiplied by the
appropriate EEIO emission factor that is representative of the investee company’s sector of the economy. For example, an
apparel manufacturer should use an EEIO emission factor for apparel manufacturing. The reporting company should then
use its proportional share of equity to allocate the estimated scope 1 and scope 2 emissions of the investee company.
Using EEIO data has limitations. EEIO databases contain average emission factors for each sector; therefore, when
EEIO data is used to estimate emissions from investments, it is not possible to differentiate between investments
within a particular sector. Using EEIO data can enable an investor to identify which sectors contribute most to its scope
3 investments category emissions, but investee-specific data would be required to identify the emissions hotspots
within a particular sector. Another limitation is that the use of EEIO data will not enable the investor to track the
GHG emissions of investee companies over time. See “Environmentally-extended input output (EEIO) data,” in the
Introduction for a broader discussion of the limitations of EEIO data.

The reporting company should collect;
•• Sector(s) the investee company operates in

•• Revenue of investee company (if the investee company operates in more than one sector, the reporting company
should collect data on the revenue for each sector in which it operates)
•• The investor’s proportional share of equity in the investee.

The reporting company should collect:
•• EEIO emission factors for the sectors of the economy that the investments are related to (kg CO2e/$ revenue).
The minimum boundary for reporting is the scope 1 and scope 2 emissions of the investee company. However, EEIO
databases provide emission factors that include all upstream emissions. Therefore, if the investor is reporting only
scope 1 and scope 2 emissions of the investee company, the EEIO emissions factor will need to be disaggregated to
separate scope 1 and scope 2 emissions from all other upstream scope 3 emissions. Disaggregating the EEIO emission
factor enables reporting companies to separate the scope 1 and scope 2 emissions from all other upstream scope 3
emissions, although sufficient information to do this may not be available. If disaggregation of the EEIO emission is not
possible, reporting companies should use the full EEIO emission factor (i.e. include all upstream emissions). Reporting
companies should clearly disclose the boundary used (either scope 1 and scope 2, or all upstream emissions).

When scope 3 emissions are significant compared with other sources of emissions, investors should also account for the
scope 3 emissions of the investee company. Including upstream scope 3 emissions is simple when using EEIO databases
because the EEIO emission factors include all upstream emissions.
Reporting companies should account for any significant changes in exchange rates and inflation rates over time. If
possible, the EEIO data should be representative of the geographic region in which the investee company is located.

Data may be collected from the following sources:
•• Revenue data and equity share data will be available from financial records of the reporting company and the investee company
•• Emission factors are available from EEIO databases (a list of databases is provided on the GHG Protocol website
(http://www.ghgprotocol.org/Third-Party-Databases). Additional databases may be added periodically, so continue
to check the website.
Calculation formula [15.2] Average-data method for calculating emissions from equity investments
Emissions from equity investments =
sum across equity investments:

∑ ((investee company total revenue ($) × emission factor for investee’s sector (kg CO2e/$ revenue))
× share of equity (%))

Example [15.2] Calculating emissions from equity investments using the average-data method
Company A is an investment bank. It has a broad portfolio of proprietary equity investments in dozens of companies
across geographic regions. Company A is unable to collect the scope 1 and scope 2 emissions of its investments because
most investees have not completed GHG inventories. Company A decides to use the economic data method by grouping
its investments by the sectors of the economy in which the investees are engaged. It collects EEIO emission factors for
corresponding sectors by reference to EEIO databases. Company A obtains information on the share of the investments
from its financial records and the financial reports of the investee companies.
The information is summarized as follows:
Investee Revenue Reporting Investee Investee Scope 1 and scope

company of investee company’s company’s company’s 2 emission factor
company ($) share of sector(s) of revenue in of sector
equity operation sector (kg CO2e/$ revenue)
(percent) (percent)
1 3,000,000 5 Telecommunication 100 0.6
2 7,500,000 15 Pharmaceutical 100 0.5
3 1,150,000 20 Energy generation 100 3.0
Food and beverage 60 2.0

4 5,500,000 10
Apparel 40 1.5
Note: The activity data and emissions factors are illustrative only and do not refer to actual data.
Emissions from equity investments:

∑ ((investee company revenue ($) × emission factor for investee’s sector (kg CO2e/$)) × share of equity)
= (3,000,000 × 0.60) × 0.05
+ (7,500,000 × 0.5) × 0.15
+ (1,150,000 × 3) × 0.20
+ ((5,500,000 × 0.6 × 2) + (5,500,000 × 0.4 × 1.5)) × 0.10
= 90,000 + 562,500 + 690,000 + 900,000 = 2,242,500 tonnes CO2e

Calculating emissions from project finance and from debt investments

with known use of proceeds
This section describes calculation methods used to calculate emissions from:
•• Project finance
•• Debt investments with known use of proceeds.
Project finance is defined in the Scope 3 Standard as long-term financing of projects (e.g., infrastructure and industrial
projects) by the reporting company as either an equity investor (sponsor) or debt investor (financier). Corporate
debt holdings with known use of proceeds are defined in the Scope 3 Standard as debt investments where the use of
proceeds is identified as going to a particular project, such as to build a specific power plant.
For each year during the term of the investment, companies should account for proportional scope 1 and scope 2
emissions of relevant projects that occur in the reporting year. Proportional emissions from project finance and debt
investments with known use of proceeds should be allocated to the investor based on the investor’s proportional share
of total project costs (total equity plus debt).
If scope 3 emissions of projects are significant compared to scope 1 and scope 2 emissions, investors should also
account for proportional scope 3 emissions of projects that occur in the reporting year. This accounting could be
particularly relevant for infrastructure projects like highways or bridges, where the scope 1 and scope 2 emissions
during the operational phase of the projects are minimal compared with the scope 3 emissions from the use of the
infrastructure (i.e., the emissions from the vehicles driving on the highway or bridge).
Figure 15.2 shows a decision tree for selecting a calculation method for emissions from project finance and debt
investments with known use of proceeds. Companies may use the following methods:
•• Project-specific method, which involves collecting scope 1 and scope 2 emissions for the relevant project(s) and
allocating these emissions based on the investor’s proportional share of total project costs (total equity plus debt)
•• Average-data method, which involves using EEIO data to estimate the scope 1 and scope 2 emissions from the
investee company and allocating emissions based on share of total project costs (total equity plus debt).
If the reporting company is an initial sponsor or lender of a project, it should also account for the total projected
lifetime scope 1 and scope 2 emissions of relevant projects financed during the reporting year, and report those
emissions separately from scope 3. The methods for calculating total projected lifetime emissions of projects are
described in a subsequent section of this chapter - Calculating total projected lifetime emissions from project finance and
debt investments with known use of proceeds.
Box [15.2] Calculating emissions from general corporate purposes debt investments
The Scope 3 Standard distinguishes debt investments with known use of proceeds from general corporate purposes debt
holdings (see tables 15.1 and 15.2). General corporate purposes debt holdings (such as bonds or loans) where the use
of proceeds is not specified can optionally be reported in a reporting company’s scope 3 inventory.
Calculating emissions from debt investments where the use of proceeds is not specified should use the methods
described for equity investments in section 15.1 (Calculating emissions from equity investments) except that the
proportional share should be calculated based on the investor’s proportional share of total equity plus debt. It should
be noted that the calculation methodologies described in this guidance apply to long-term debt. Short-term debt (such
as revolving credit facilities) would pose additional accounting challenges that are not addressed in this guidance.

Figure [15.2] Decision tree for selecting a calculation method for emissions from project finance and debt
investments with known use of proceeds
Does the investment

scope 3 emissions (based on
screening) or is engagement Can the investee
with investee company company provide scope 1 Use project-specific
otherwise relevant to the yes and scope 2 data for the yes approach
business goals? relevant project?
no no
Use average-data
method
Project-specific method
The project-specific method involves collecting scope 1 and scope 2 emissions directly from the investee company for
the relevant project(s) and allocating these emissions based on the investor’s proportional share of total project costs
(total equity plus debt).

•• Scope 1 and scope 2 emissions that occur in the reporting year for the relevant projects
•• The investor’s proportional share of total project costs (total equity plus debt).

If using the project-specific method, the reporting company collects emissions data from investees, so no emission
factors are required.

Sources for data may include:
•• GHG inventory reports of investee companies

•• Financial records of the reporting company
•• A number countries and regions now have mandatory GHG reporting requirements for facilities over a certain size.
These databases are usually available to the public.

Calculation formula [15.3] P

roject-specific method for calculating emissions from project finance and debt
CO2e emissions from projects =
sum across projects:

∑ (scope 1 and scope 2 emissions of relevant project in the reporting year
× share of total project costs (%))
Example [15.3] C
alculating emissions from project finance and debt investments with known use of
proceeds using the project-specific method
Company A is an investment bank. It makes debt investments in a number of utility and infrastructure companies for
specific projects (such as building a new power plant). Company A collects scope 1 and scope 2 emissions data from the
companies on the projects for which the investment bank provided debt capital.
Investee Scope 1 and scope 2 emissions Value of Total project Share of total
company of project in reporting year debt invest- costs (total equi- project costs
(tonnes CO2e) ment ($) ty plus debt) ($) (percent)
1 200,000 1,000,000 20,000,000 5.00
2 10,000 5,000,000 50,000,000 10.00
3 250,000 3,000,000 60,000,000 5.00
4 30,000 10,000,000 90,000,000 11.11

emissions from debt investments with known use of proceeds

= (200,000 × 0.05) + (10,000 × 0.1) + (250,000 × 0.05) + (30,000 × 0.1111)
= 10,000 + 1,000 + 12,500 + 3,333 = 26,833 tonnes CO2e
Average-data method
The average-data method uses environmentally-extended input output (EEIO) data to estimate the scope 1 and scope 2
emissions from projects. The project cost should be multiplied by appropriate emission factors that are representative
of the sectors of the economy to which the project relates. For example, for a manufacturing facility construction
project, an EEIO emission factor for “Construction of nonresidential manufacturing structures” should be used. The
reporting company should then use its proportional share of total project costs (total equity plus debt) to allocate the
project’s emissions.

Using EEIO data has limitations (see “Environmentally-extended input output (EEIO) data,” in the Introduction for more
information), so this option should only be used as a last resort if project-specific data is not available. Companies
should clearly report on the methodology and assumptions used to calculate their emissions within this category.

The reporting company should collect:
•• Project costs in the reporting year (if the project is in the construction phase); or
•• Revenue of the project (if the project is in the operational phase); and
•• The investor’s proportional share of total project costs (total equity plus debt).

The reporting company should collect one of the following:
•• EEIO emission factors for the relevant construction sector that the investments are related to (kg CO2e/$) (if the
project is in the construction phase)
•• EEIO emission factors for the relevant operating sector that the investments are related to (kg CO2e/$) (if the project
is in the operational phase).
Reporting companies should ensure that EEIO data is up-to-date and account for any significant changes in exchange
rates and inflation rates over time. If possible, the EEIO data should be representative of the e geographic region where
the project is located.
If a project (e.g., certain infrastructure projects) does not generate revenue during its operational phase then EEIO
data cannot be used to estimate emissions. In these cases, other data or assumptions, such as industry or government
studies of similar projects, can be used to estimate emissions from the operational phase.

Data may be collected from the following sources:
•• Project cost and investment share data will be available from financial records of the reporting company and the
investee company
•• Emission factors from EEIO databases (a list of databases is provided on the GHG Protocol website http://www.
ghgprotocol.org/Third-Party-Databases). Additional databases may be added periodically, so continue to check the website.

Calculation formula [15.4] Average-data method for calculating emissions from project finance and debt
Emissions from project finance and debt investments with known use proceeds =
sum across projects in the construction phase:

∑ ((project construction cost in the reporting year ($)
x emission factor of relevant construction sector (kg CO2e/$ revenue))
x share of total project costs (%))
sum across projects in the operational phase:

∑ ((project revenue in the reporting year ($)
x emission factor of relevant operating sector (kg CO2e/$ revenue))
x share of total project costs (%))
Example [15.4] Calculating emissions from project finance and debt investments with known use of
proceeds using the average data method
Company A is an investment bank. It makes debt investments in a number of companies for specific projects (such as
building a new power plant). This is the first year Company A has carried out a scope 3 inventory and due to time and
resource constraints, it decided not to engage with the investee companies, but instead wants to use secondary data to
estimate emissions. Company A states that it will consider engagement with investee companies in future years.
Company A collects data from its internal data management system. The information is summarized as follows:
Type of Project Project con- Relevant EEIO EEIO emission Share of total
project phase struction cost or sector factor (scope project costs
project revenue 1 and scope 2 (value of debt
in reporting year emissions only) investment / total
($ million) (tonnes CO2e / equity plus debt)
$ millions) (percent)
Bridge Construc- 20 Other non-residential 310 7

tion structures
Hospital Construc- 8 Construction of 325 10

tion non-residential com-
mercial and health
care structures
Paper man- Operation 3 Paper mills 500 5

ufacturing
facility
Coal-fired Operation 15 Power generation 9,000 5

power and supply
plant

Example [15.4] Calculating emissions from project finance and debt investments with known use of
proceeds using the average data method (continued)
emissions from debt investments with known use of proceeds

= ∑ ((project construction costs in the reporting year or project revenue in reporting year ($)
× emission factor of sector (kg CO2e/$)) x share of total project costs)
= ((20 x 310) x 0.07) + ((8 x 325) x 0.10) + ((3 x 500) x 0.05) + ((15 x 9,000) x 0.05)
= 434 + 260 + 75 + 6,750 = 7,519 tonnes CO2e
Calculating total projected lifetime emissions from project finance

and debt investments with known use of proceeds
If the reporting company is an initial sponsor or lender of a project, it should also account for the total projected lifetime
scope 1 and scope 2 emissions of relevant projects financed during the reporting year, and report those emissions
separately from scope 3. Accounting for the projected lifetime emissions reflects the longer term nature of these forms
of investment. Accounting for total projected lifetime emissions is in addition to (and separate from) accounting for
annual scope 1 and scope 2 emissions of projects for each year during the term of the investment (as described in the
previous section Calculating emissions from project finance and from debt investments with known use of proceeds).
Total projected lifetime emissions are reported in the initial year the project is financed, not in subsequent years, and
emissions should not be amortized or discounted. As it is required for companies to account for proportional scope 1 and
scope 2 emissions of projects for each year during the term of the investment, reporting amortized projected lifetime
emissions each year during the term of the investment in addition to annual scope 1 and scope 2 emissions would result
in double counting. Once the project has been constructed and is operational, the lifetime emissions have been locked
in, so it is in the initial stage of a project where total lifetime emissions should be taken into consideration. Companies
should report the assumptions used to estimate total anticipated lifetime scope 1 and scope 2 emissions.
When scope 3 emissions of projects are significant compared to scope 1 and scope 2 emissions, investors should also
account for total projected lifetime scope 3 emissions of projects. This could be particularly relevant for infrastructure
projects like highways or bridges, where the scope 1 and scope 2 emissions of the projects during the operational phase
are minimal compared to the scope 3 emissions from the use of the infrastructure (i.e., the emissions from the vehicles
driving on the highway or bridge).
Any claims of avoided emissions related to a project must be reported separately from the company’s scope 1, scope 2,
and scope 3 inventories. (For more information, see section 9.5 of the Scope 3 Standard).
Calculating projected lifetime emissions typically requires making assumptions about the operation of the asset and its
expected lifetime. The data needed to calculate expected emissions will depend on the type of project.
•• Expected average annual emissions of project. For power plants for example, emissions can be derived from the
plant’s capacity and heat rate, the carbon content of the fuel, and projected capacity utilization
•• Expected lifetime of project.

If there is uncertainty around a project’s anticipated lifetime, companies may report a range of likely values (e.g., for a
coal-fired power plant, a company may report a range of 30- to 60-years).
Calculation formula [15.4] Method for calculating projected total lifetime emissions from project finance
and debt investments with known use of proceeds
Projected total lifetime emissions from project finance and debt investments
with known use proceeds =
∑ ((projected annual emissions of project x projected lifetime of project) x share of total project costs)
Note that project total lifetime emissions are only required to be reported in the initial year the project is financed, so the share of total
project costs (total equity plus debt) refers only to initial sponsors/lenders.
Example [15.5] Calculating projected total lifetime emissions from project finance and debt investments
with known use of proceeds
Company A is an investment bank. In the reporting year, the bank project financed the construction of one power plant
as an initial lender.
Expected annual emissions Expected lifetime of Proportional share of total project costs
(tonnes) project (years) (total equity plus debt) (percent)
7,000,000 30–60 15
Note: The data are illustrative only, and do not refer to actual data
Projected lifetime emissions of projects financed in the reporting year

= (projected annual emissions of project x projected lifetime of project) x share of total project costs
30 year lifetime: (7,000,000 x 30) x 0.15 = 31,500,000 tonnes CO2e

60 year lifetime: (7,000,000 x 60) x 0.15 = 63,000,000 tonnes CO2e

A
Appendix A:
Sampling
A
company needing to collect a large quantity of data for a particular scope 3 category
may find it impractical or impossible to collect the data from each activity in the
category. In such cases, companies may use appropriate sampling techniques to
extrapolate data from a representative sample of activities within the category.
Companies may also choose to categorize activities into similar groups for data collection. This strategy should group
activities with similar anticipated emissions intensities. For example:
•• Companies with a large number of leased assets (Categories 8 and 13) or franchises (Category 14) may group
buildings by building type or floor area and vehicles by vehicle type
•• Companies with a large number of employees collecting data on employee commuting (Category 7) may wish to
extrapolate data from a representative sample of employees
•• Companies with a large number of distribution channels may use sampling when calculating the emissions
associated with Categories 4 and 9 (Transportation and Distribution).
Companies should choose a sampling method that aligns with their business goals and document and justify their
choice. The choice of sampling method will depend on factors including, but not limited to:
•• Available resources
•• Number of data points
•• Expected level of homogeneity between samples
•• Geographical spread of data points
•• Ease of data collection
•• Timeframe available.
Ultimately, the use of sampling and choice of a specific sampling method aims to optimize the trade-off between cost
and accurately representing all emission sources in the scope 3 category. Companies may use a variety of sampling
methods, as appropriate for each specific emissions activity.

APPENDIX A Sampling
Sampling methods
Sampling methods available to companies include, but are not limited to:
•• Simple random sampling

•• Systematic sampling
•• Stratified sampling
Each approach is summarized below. Alternative methods for sampling may also be used.
Simple Random Sampling

Simple random sampling involves randomly selecting activities (i.e., a sample) from a larger set of activities (i.e., the
entire population).
If the total number of activities from which a sample is selected is small, simple random sampling may be performed at
its most basic level by selecting activities at random. If the total number of activities is large, for example with hundreds
or thousands of activities, then random sampling is better performed by computer.
Advantages of simple random sampling include:
•• With an appropriate sample size, simple random sampling creates a representative view of the entire population.
(For example, if a company has fifty employees located within a close geographical area and wants to determine
the average commuting distance, it may choose to collect data from ten randomly selected employees as a
representative sample.)
•• It is relatively straightforward to construct the sample.
Disadvantages of simple random sampling include:
•• The sample size needed to generate appropriately representative results may be prohibitively large and
cumbersome to sample. (For example, if a retail organization has thousands of stores in many countries, randomly
selecting individual stores may result in a difficult and time-consuming data collection process.)
•• It may not be possible to obtain a complete list of all activities from the sample size, which is a prerequisite for
simple random sampling. (For example, if a distribution company wants to determine the average backhaul capacity
of its trucks, it would have to list every journey before a random sample could be selected.)
Systematic Sampling
Systematic sampling involves randomly selecting the first item to sample and then selecting subsequent activities at
regular intervals.
An appropriate sampling interval should be chosen so that the company achieves the desired sample size. For example,
if a company sourced agricultural products from 100 farms but only wanted to sample 20 farms, an appropriate
sampling interval would be every 5 farms. If the first farm to be sampled was picked as Farm 3, the company would
subsequently sample from Farms 8, 13, 18, 23,…, 93, 98.

APPENDIX A Sampling
Calculation formula [A.1] Selecting an appropriate systematic sampling interval
Systematic sampling interval =
sampling interval = total population size / desired sample size
Advantages of systematic sampling include:
•• Simple to implement
•• The population is guaranteed to be evenly sampled without risk that the sample points are clustered together.
Disadvantages of systematic sampling include:
•• If there is a periodic pattern in the population to be sampled, it could lead to biased sampling
•• As with simple random sampling, it may not be possible to obtain a complete list of all activities in the population.
Stratified Sampling
Stratified sampling initially groups the population’s activities into categories with similar characteristics. Random
sampling is subsequently performed within these homogeneous groups.
The company should initially create population groups containing activities with characteristics likely to offer similar
intensities of GHG emissions. Grouping variables could include location, size, building type, manufacturing technique,
age, etc.
For example, if an agricultural produce company was assessing emissions from its farms, it may use the following
variable to create initial groupings of all farms: high / low rainfall; smaller than 100 hectares / larger than 100 hectares;
north-facing-hill / south-facing-hill / neither.
Stratified sampling is particularly useful when the variability in GHG emissions within groups is small, but the variability
between groups is large.
Advantages of stratified sampling:
•• Can lead to higher precision because there is less variability within the groups given that similar characteristics are
grouped together.
•• The necessary sample size can be reduced due to lower variability within groups, therefore saving time and money.
•• Allows companies to draw insights into the source and level of emissions among different groups. This level of detail
may be lost with simple random sampling.
•• Different random sampling techniques may be employed for different groups as appropriate.
Disadvantages of stratified sampling:
•• Identifying appropriate variables and forming sampling groups may be difficult and complex.

APPENDIX A Sampling
Sample Size
Determining sample size is fundamental to any sampling activity. The choice of sample size will be influenced by several
factors, including the likely significance of GHG emissions from the sources in question, the size of the population, the
variability of the emission sources, and the necessary degree of precision.
Determining sample size

There are several approaches to determining sample size. In particular, four alternative approaches may prove useful
for companies:
•• Using the sample size of a similar inventory

•• Using online calculators
•• Using published tables
•• Using formulas.
Using the sample size of a similar inventory

Companies may refer to similar inventories for guidance on appropriate sample size and sampling technique. When using
this approach, companies should justify the similarity and appropriateness for the comparison. Companies may refer to
similar inventories that have been externally verified for guidance on appropriate sample size and sampling technique.
Using online calculators

Online calculators are a quick and easy way to assess sample size.
For example:
•• http://www.research-advisors.com/tools/SampleSize.htm provides a downloadable spreadsheet to calculate

necessary sample size with the ability to tailor the sampling criteria.
•• http://www.surveysystem.com/sscalc.htm provides an interactive online calculator for sample size; however, the
choices for confidence level are fixed.
Using published tables

Many published tables give the necessary sample size for a specific set of criteria. Such criteria include precision,
confidence levels, and variability for a given population size.
Users should refer to standard statistics texts or search online for a table matching their specific sampling criteria.
Using formulas
Companies that want greater assurance for their choice of sample size may turn to established formulas. Formulas for
the calculation of sample size are available in all standard statistics and sampling text books, as well as via the internet.
When applying sample size formulas, users may find it advantageous to seek the advice of a person with experience of
statistics.

APPENDIX A Sampling
Level of accuracy
The level of accuracy is related to the sample size, sampling strategy, and the measurement system. Assuming a
normal distribution, increasing the sample size is likely to reduce the sampling error using the relationship v = √n. In this
relationship “v” represents the variability of the data values. It is important to recognize that all measurements contain
some level of uncertainty. An estimate of the measurement uncertainty should be obtained, particularly for parts of the
assessment that contribute significantly to the organization and/ or if subsequent investment decisions are made based
on the measurement.
Confidence level
An estimate of the uncertainty, which should include both precision and bias from random error and systematic error
respectively, will enable an interpretation of the measurement. For example, a level of uncertainty of ±5 percent would
imply for an emissions estimate of 100 tonnes CO2e, that the actual emissions lie somewhere between 95 and 105
tonnes CO2e. The confidence level associated with the uncertainty normally corresponds to a 95 percent confidence
level, that is, 2 standard deviations. For example, the true value lies in the range of 95 and 105 tonnes with 95 percent
confidence.
Variability
Variability refers to the degree of difference between activities within the population. A population that is more
heterogeneous (more variable) will require a larger sample size. A variability of 50 percent is the maximum level of
variability in a population. Therefore, a variability assumption of 0.5 is often used as a conservative estimate.

B
Appendix B:
Scenario uncertainty
in calculating emissions
from the use of sold products
S
cenario uncertainty assessment (also known as sensitivity analysis) is a useful tool
to understand how changes in the product’s design, use, and disposal could impact
inventory results. It can be thought of as the impact of potential situations other
than the conditions and assumptions made in the product’s inventory results and report.
Example [B.1] S
cenario analysis: measuring uncertainty in calculating emissions from the use of sold products
Company A produces electric fans for residential consumers. The electric fan has a wattage of 300. Company data
indicates that consumers use the electric fan an average of 40 days a year, with an average use of 6 hours/day for a total
of 5 years of use before disposing of the fan.
To calculate use-phase emissions, the company made the following calculations:
total lifetime usage = 40 x 6 x 5 = 1,200 hours

CO2e emissions per hour of use = wattage x electricity grid factor = 300 x 0.45 = 0.135 kg CO2e/hour use
the company sold 1,000 units in the reporting year, so total use-phase emissions for the reporting company
= 1,200 x 0.135 x 1,000 = 162,000 kg CO2e = 162 tonnes CO2e

APPENDIX B Scenario uncertainty in calculating emissions from the use of sold products
Example [B.1] S
cenario analysis: measuring uncertainty in calculating emissions from the use of sold products
(continued)
For both the reporting company and stakeholders, it may be valuable to understand how a change in the use pattern
would change the inventory results. Company A has defined the average usage scenario in situation 1. However, based
on research the company conducted, the number of days that the electric fan is used could range between 20 and 60
per year, and the lifespan of the fan could range from 5 to 8 years.
To understand the impacts of the use phase of the electric fan in these different scenarios, four hypothetical scenarios
were developed based on the range of use days per year and the range of life span. Total use-phase emissions were then
calculated for each scenario.
Situation Use days/year Use hours/day Use lifespan (years)
1 40 6 5
2 60 6 5
3 60 6 8
4 20 6 5
5 20 6 8
Electric fan use-phase emissions under different use situations

Total use-phase emissions (tonnes CO2e)
450
400
350
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
Situation 1 Situation 2 Situation 3 Situation 4 Situation 5
As shown in the table and graph above, different scenarios show different use phase emissions. The scenario
uncertainty analysis helps the reporting company ensure that the scenario used in the inventory is representative of the
range of scenarios, and not the scenario with the lowest emissions.
If the scenario uncertainty shows a very large range in emissions, and if this range is significant relative to total scope
3 emissions, companies may choose to conduct more detailed analysis of the use profile of the product to more
accurately calculate use-phase emissions and reduce the uncertainty.

C
Appendix C:
Calculating emissions
intensity metrics
T
he Scope 3 Standard states that companies may report emissions intensity metrics
to avoid misinterpretation of emission results as more durable products with longer
lifetimes would at first appear to have higher lifetime use-phase emissions.
To convert absolute emissions to an emissions intensity metric, companies should calculate emissions per a relevant
unit of measure. Examples of emissions intensity metrics are given in table C.1.
Table [C.1] Examples of emissions intensity metrics using different units of measure
Product Emissions intensity metric
Can of cola kg CO2e per 330ml can
Washing machine kg CO2e per wash
Television kg CO2e per hour of viewing
Car kg CO2e per kilometer driven

APPENDIX C Calculating emissions intensity metrics
Calculation formula [C.1] Calculating emission intensity metrics
CO2e emissions per functional unit of product =
number of units over lifetime of sold product:

total lifetime emissions
units per lifetime of products
The reporting company must first decide on the unit of measure to apply to the product. The emissions intensity metric
is then calculated as shown in formula C.1 above.
Example [C.1] Calculating emission intensity metrics
Company A manufactures and sells washing machines. The company calculated their emissions from use of sold products
(category 11) as 500,000 kg CO2e.
Company A then decided to report an emissions intensity metric to give context to the use-phase emissions of its
washing machines. An example of an intensity metric that could be used for washing machines is noted in example 11.2
(Calculating indirect use-phase emissions from products that indirectly consume energy (fuels or electricity) during use) – kg
CO2e per wash. Using this intensity metric, emissions are calculated as follows:
Number of units over lifetime of all products sold in the reporting year
= lifetime units per product × total number of products sold in reporting year
= 1,500 washes × 2,000 washing machines
= 3,000,000 washes over lifetime of all sold products
As stated above, the total emissions from use of Company A’s sold products is 500,000 kg CO2e.
So the emissions intensity can be calculated as follows:
total lifetime emissions

emissions intensity metric =
number of functional units performed over lifetime of sold products
500,000
=
3,000,000
= 0.1667 kg CO2e per wash

Appendix D Calculation formula summary tables
Appendix D: Calculation formula summary tables

Summary of calculation methods for category 1 (Purchased goods and services)
Method Calculation Formula Activity Data Needed Emission Factor Needed
Supplier-specific sum across purchased goods and services: • Quantities or units of goods or services • Supplier-specific emission factors for the pur-
method ∑ (quantities of good purchased (e.g., kg) purchased chased goods or services (e.g., if the supplier has
× supplier-specific product emission factor of purchased good or service conducted a reliable cradle-to-gate GHG invento-
(e.g., kg CO2e/kg)) ry, product footprint or internal LCA report)
Hybrid method sum across purchased goods and services: • Allocated scope 1 and 2 data (including Depending what activity data has been collected
(where supplier- ∑ scope 1 and 2 emissions of tier 1 supplier relating to purchased good or service emissions from electricity use and fuel from the supplier, companies may need to collect:
specific activity (kg CO2e) use and any process and fugitive emis- • Cradle-to-gate emission factors for materials
data is available + sions) by supplier relating to the good used by tier 1 supplier to produce purchased
for all activities sum across material inputs of the purchased goods and services: or service purchased by the reporting goods (Note: these emission factors can either
associated with ∑ (mass or quantity of material inputs used by tier 1 supplier relating to purchased good company. For guidance on allocating be supplier-specific emission factors provided
producing the or service (kg or unit) emissions, refer to chapter 8 of the Scope by the supplier, or industry average emission
purchased goods) × cradle-to-gate emission factor for the material (kg CO2e/kg or kg CO2e/unit)) 3 Standard. factors sourced from a secondary database. In
+ • Mass or quantity of material inputs (e.g., general, preference should be given to more
sum across transport of material inputs to tier 1 supplier: bill of materials) used by supplier to specific and verified emission factors)
∑ (distance of transport of material inputs to tier 1 supplier (km) produce purchased goods • Life cycle emission factors for fuel used by
× mass or volume of material input (tonnes or TEUs) • Mass or quantity of fuel inputs used by incoming transport of input materials to tier 1
× cradle-to-gate emission factor for the vehicle type (kg CO2e/tonne or TEU/km)) supplier to produce purchased goods supplier
+ • Distance from the origin of the raw • Emission factors for waste outputs by tier 1
sum across waste outputs by tier 1 supplier relating material inputs to the supplier (the supplier to produce purchased goods
to purchased goods and services: transport emissions from the supplier • Other emission factors as applicable (e.g., pro-
∑ (mass of waste from tier 1 supplier relating to the purchased good or service (kg) to the reporting company is calculated cess emissions)
× emission factor for waste activity (kg CO2e/kg)) in category 4 so should not be included • The secondary emission factors required will
+ here) also depend on what data is available for the
other emissions emitted in provision of the good or service as applicable • Quantities of waste output by supplier to purchased good. Companies will need to collect
produce purchased goods either:
• Other emissions emitted in provision of • Cradle-to-gate emission factors of the purchased
the purchased goods as applicable goods or services per unit of mass or unit of
product (e.g., kg CO2e/kg or kg CO2e/hour
spent); or
• Cradle-to-gate emission factors of the purchased
goods or services per unit of economic value
(e.g., kg CO2e/$)

Summary of calculation methods for category 1 (Purchased goods and services) (continued)
Hybrid method sum across purchased goods and services:

(where only ∑ scope 1 and scope 2 emissions of tier 1 supplier relating to purchased good or service
allocated scope 1 (kg CO2e)
and 2 emissions +
and waste data ∑ (mass of waste from tier 1 supplier relating to the purchased good (kg)
are available from × emission factor for waste activity (kg CO2e/kg))
supplier) +
× emission factor of purchased good excluding scope 1, scope 2, and emissions from
waste generated by producer (kg CO2e/kg or unit or $))
Average-data sum across purchased goods and services: • Mass or number of units of purchased • Cradle-to-gate emission factors of the purchased
method ∑ (mass of purchased good or service (kg) goods or services for a given year (e.g., goods or services per unit of mass or unit of
× emission factor of purchased good or service per unit of mass (kg CO2e/kg)) kg, hours spent, etc.) product (e.g., kg CO2e/kg or kg CO2e/hour spent)
or
∑ (unit of purchased good or service (e.g., piece)
× emission factor of purchased good or service per reference unit (e.g., kg CO2e/piece))
Spend-based sum across purchased goods and services: • Amount spent on purchased goods or • Cradle-to-gate emission factors of the purchased
method ∑ (value of purchased good or service ($) services, by product type, using market goods or services per unit of economic value
× emission factor of purchased good or service per unit of economic value (kg CO2e/$)) values (e.g., dollars) (e.g., kg CO2e/$)

Summary of calculation methods for category 2 (Capital goods)
Supplier-specific sum across capital goods: • Quantities or units of capital goods pur- • Supplier-specific emission factors for the capital goods (e.g.,
method ∑ (quantities of capital good purchased (e.g., kg) chased in the reporting year if the supplier has conducted a reliable cradle-to-gate GHG
× supplier-specific product emission factor of capital good (e.g., kg CO2e/kg)) inventory, product footprint or internal LCA report)
Hybrid method sum across capital goods: • Allocated scope 1 and 2 data (including • Depending what activity data has been collected from the
(where suppli- ∑ scope 1 and 2 emissions of tier 1 supplier relating to capital good (kg CO2e) emissions from electricity use and fuel use supplier, companies may need to collect:
er-specific activity + and any process and fugitive emissions) • Cradle-to-gate emission factors for materials used by tier
data is available sum across material inputs of the capital goods: by supplier relating to the capital good 1 supplier to produce capital goods (Note: these emission
for all activities ∑ (mass or quantity of material inputs used by tier 1 supplier relating to capital purchased by the reporting company. For factors can either be supplier-specific emission factors pro-
associated with good (kg or unit) guidance on allocating emissions, refer to vided by the supplier, or industry average emission factors
producing the pur- × cradle-to-gate emission factor for the material (kg CO2e/kg or kg CO2e/unit)) chapter 8 of the Scope 3 Standard. sourced from a secondary database. In general, preference
chased goods) + • Mass or quantity of material inputs (e.g., should be given to more specific and verified emission
sum across transport of material inputs to tier 1 supplier: bill of materials) used by supplier to factors)
∑ (distance of transport of material inputs to tier 1 supplier (km) produce capital goods • Life cycle emission factors for fuel used by incoming trans-
× mass or volume of material input (tonnes or TEUs) • Mass or quantity of fuel inputs used by port of input materials to tier 1 supplier
× cradle-to-gate emission factor for the vehicle type supplier to produce capital goods • Emission factors for waste outputs by tier 1 supplier to
(kg CO2e/tonne or TEU/km)) • Distance from the origin of the raw mate- produce capital goods
+ rial inputs to the supplier (the transport • Other emission factors as applicable (e.g., process emis-
sum across waste outputs by tier 1 supplier relating to capital goods: emissions from the supplier to the report- sions)
∑ (mass of waste from tier 1 supplier relating to the capital good (kg) ing company is calculated in category 4 • The secondary emission factors required will also depend on
× emission factor for waste activity (kg CO2e/kg)) so should not be included here) what data is available for the capital good. Companies will
+ • Quantities of waste output by supplier to need to collect either:
other emissions emitted in provision of capital goods as applicable produce capital goods • Cradle-to-gate emission factors of the capital goods per unit
• Other emissions emitted in provision of of mass or unit of product (e.g., kg CO2e/kg); or
the capital goods as applicable • Cradle-to-gate emission factors of the capital goods per unit
of economic value (e.g., kg CO2e/$)
Hybrid method sum across capital goods:

(where only ∑ scope 1 and scope 2 emissions of tier 1 supplier relating to capital good
allocated scope 1 (kg CO2e)
and 2 emissions +
and waste data ∑ (mass of waste from tier 1 supplier relating to the capital good (kg)
are available from × emission factor for waste activity (kg CO2e/kg))
supplier) +
∑ (mass or quantity of units of capital good (e.g., kg)
× emission factor of capital good excluding scope 1, scope 2, and emissions
from waste generated by producer (kg CO2e/kg or unit or $))
Average-data sum across capital goods: • Mass or number of units of capital goods • Cradle-to-gate emission factors of the capital goods
method ∑ (mass of capital good (kg) for a given year (e.g., kg) per unit of mass or unit of product (e.g., kg CO2e/kg or
× emission factor of capital good per unit of mass (kg CO2e/kg)) kg CO2e/hour spent)
or
∑ (unit of capital good (e.g., piece)
× emission factor of capital good per reference unit (e.g., kg CO2e/piece))
Spend-based sum across capital goods: • Amount spent on capital goods, by prod- • Cradle-to-gate emission factors of the capital goods per unit
method ∑ (value of capital good ($) uct type, using market values (e.g., $) of economic value (e.g., kg CO2e/$)
× emission factor of capital good per unit of economic value (kg CO2e/$))

Summary of Calculation Methods for Category 3 (Fuel- and energy-related activities not included in scope 1 or scope 2)
A. Upstream emissions of purchased fuels
Supplier-specific or sum across each fuel type consumed: Quantities and types of fuel Supplier-specific method
average-data method ∑ (fuel consumed (e.g., kWh) × upstream fuel emission factor (kg CO2e)/kWh)) consumed • Fuel-provider-specific emission factors on ex-
traction, production and transportation of fuels per
where: unit of fuel consumed by the reporting company
upstream fuel emission factor = life cycle emission factor – combustion emission factor (e.g., kg CO2e/kWh), by fuel type and country or
region
Average-data method
• Average emission factors for upstream emissions
per unit of consumption (e.g., kg CO2e/kWh)
B. Upstream emissions of purchased electricity
Supplier-specific or sum across suppliers, regions, or countries: Total quantities of electricity, Supplier-specific method
average-data method steam, heating or cooling • Utility-specific emission factors for extraction,
∑ (electricity consumed (kWh) × upstream electricity emission factor (kgCO2e)/kWh)) purchased and consumed per production and transportation of fuels consumed
+ (steam consumed (kWh) × upstream steam emission factor (kg CO2e)/kWh)) unit of consumption (e.g., MWh), per MWh of electricity, steam, heating or cooling
+ (heating consumed (kWh) × upstream heating emission factor (kg CO2e)/kWh)) broken down by supplier, grid generated
+ (cooling consumed (kWh) × upstream cooling emission factor (kg CO2e)/kWh)) region or country
Average-data method
where: • Grid-region, country, or regional emission factors
upstream emission factor for extraction, production and transportation of
= life cycle emission factor – combustion emissions factor – T&D losses fuels per unit of consumption (e.g., kg CO2e/kWh)
of electricity, steam, heating or cooling generated
Note: T&D losses need to be subtracted only if they are included in the life cycle emission
factor. Companies should check the emission factor to establish whether or not T&D losses
have been taken into account.
C. T&D losses
Supplier-specific or sum across suppliers, regions, or countries: • Electricity, steam, heating or Supplier-specific method
average-data method cooling per unit of consump- • Utility-specific transmission & distribution loss rate
∑ (electricity consumed (kWh) × electricity life cycle emission factor ((kg CO2e)/kWh) tion (e.g., MWh), broken down (%), specific to grid where energy is generated and
× T&D loss rate (%)) by grid region or country; consumed
+ (steam consumed (kWh) × steam life cycle emission factor ((kg CO2e)/kWh) and/or
× T&D loss rate (%)) • Scope 2 emissions data Average-data method
+ (heating consumed (kWh) × heating life cycle emission factor ((kg CO2e)/kWh) • Country average transmission & distribution loss
× T&D loss rate (%)) rate (%)
+ (cooling consumed (kWh) × cooling life cycle emission factor ((kg CO2e)/kWh) • Regional average transmission & distribution loss
× T&D loss rate (%)) rate (%)
• Global average transmission & distribution loss
rate (%)

Summary of Calculation Methods for Category 3 (Fuel- and energy-related activities not included in scope 1 or scope 2) (continued)
D. Generation of purchased electricity that is sold to end users
Supplier-specific or sum across suppliers, regions or countries: Quantities and specific source Supplier-specific method
average-data method (e.g., generation unit) of electric- • Specific emissions data for generation unit from
∑ (electricity purchased for resale (kWh) × electricity life cycle emission factor (kg CO2e)/ ity purchased and re-sold which purchased power is generated
kWh))
+ (steam purchased for resale (kWh) × steam life cycle emission factor (kg CO2e)/kWh)) Average-data method
+ (heating purchased for resale (kWh) × heating life cycle emission factor (kg CO2e)/kWh)) • Grid average rate for the origin of purchased power
+ (cooling purchased for resale (kWh) × cooling life cycle emission factor (kg CO2e)/kWh))

Summary of Calculation Methods for Category 4 (Upstream transportation and distribution)
Method Calculation Formula Activity Data Needed Emission Factors Needed
Calculating Emissions from Transportation
Fuel-based method sum across fuel types: • Quantities of fuel (e.g., diesel, • Fuel emission factors, expressed in
∑ (quantity of fuel consumed (liters) × emission factor for the fuel (e.g., kg CO2e/liter)) gasoline, jet fuel, biofuels, units of emissions per unit of energy
+ etc.) consumed; consumed (e.g., kg CO2e/liters, CO2e/
sum across grid regions: • Amount spent on fuel and Btu, etc.)
∑ (quantity of electricity consumed (kWh) × emission factor for electricity grid (e.g., kg CO2e/kWh)) average cost of fuel • For electric vehicles (if applica-
+ • Amount of refrigerant leak- ble), electricity emission factors,
sum across refrigerant and air-conditioning types: age; and expressed in units of emissions per
∑ (quantity of refrigerant leakage × global warming potential for the refrigerant (e.g., kg CO2e)) unit of electricity consumed (e.g., kg
If applicable: CO2e/kWh)
If fuel data is unavailable, companies may use the following two formulae to calculate quantities • Distance travelled; • Refrigerant leakage emission factors,
of fuel consumed: • Average fuel efficiency of the expressed in units of emissions per
vehicle, expressed in units unit of refrigerant leaked (e.g., kg
Calculating fuel use from fuel spend of liters of fuel consumed CO2e/kg leakage)
per tonne per kilometer
sum across fuel types: transported; Emission factors should include scope
∑
total fuel spend (e.g., $) • Mass of purchased goods in 1 and scope 2 emissions of the fuel
average fuel price (e.g., $/liter) the vehicle (tonnes) and optionally include cradle-to-gate
• Information on whether the emissions.
Calculating fuel use from distance travelled products are refrigerated
during transport

mass/volume of company’s goods
(
= total fuel consumed (litres) × mass/volume of goods transported
)
Companies may optionally substitute mass of goods by volume with dimensional mass or chargeable
mass where data is available to prove that the alternative method is more suitable. Dimensional mass is a
calculated mass that takes into account packaging volume as well as the actual mass of the goods.
(Optional) CO2e emissions from unladen backhaul =

for each fuel type:
∑ (quantity of fuel consumed from backhaul
× emission factor for the fuel (e.g., kg CO2e/liter))
where:
= average efficiency of vehicles unladed (l/km) × total distance travelled unladen

Summary of Calculation Methods for Category 4 (Upstream transportation and distribution) (continued)
Distance-based method sum across transport modes and/or vehicle types: • Mass or volume of the prod- Emission factor by mode of transport
ucts sold (e.g., rail, air, etc) or vehicle types (e.g.,
∑ (mass of goods purchased (tonnes or volume ) • Actual distances provided by articulated lorry, container vessel, etc),
× distance travelled in transport leg (km) transportation suppliers expressed in units of greenhouse gases
× emission factor of transport mode or vehicle type (kg CO2e/tonne or volume/km)) • Online maps or calculators; (CO2, CH4, N2O) per unit of mass (tonne)
and/or or volume (e.g., TEU) travelled (e.g., km)
• Published port-to-port travel
distances
Spend-based method sum across transport modes and/or vehicle types: • Amount spent on transporta- • Cradle-to-gate emission factors of
tion by type (e.g. road, rail, air, the transportation type per unit of
∑ (amount spent on transportation by type ($) barge), using market values economic value (e.g., kg CO2e/$)
× relevant EEIO emission factors per unit of economic value (kg CO2e/$)) (e.g., dollars). • Where applicable, inflation data to
convert market values between the
year of the EEIO emissions factors
and the year of the activity data.
Calculating Emissions from Distribution
Site-specific method for each storage facility: • Site-specific fuel, electricity • Site or regionally specific emission
use; and factors for energy sources (e.g., elec-
emissions of storage facility (kg CO2e) = • Site-specific refrigerant tricity and fuels) per unit of consump-
(fuel consumed (kWh) × fuel emission factor (kg CO2e/kWh)) leakage tion (e.g., kg CO2e/kWh for electricity,
+ (electricity consumed (kWh) × electricity emission factor (kg CO2e)/kWh)) • The average occupancy rate kg CO2e/liter for diesel); and
+ (quantity of refrigerant leakage (kg) × global warming potential for the refrigerant (e.g., kg CO2e)) of the storage facility (i.e., av- • Refrigerant emission factors of fugi-
erage total volume of goods tive and process emissions (kg HFC/
then, allocate emissions based on volume that company’s products take within storage facility: stored) kg of refrigerant leakage)
allocated emissions of storage facility

=
total volume of goods in storage facility (m3)

Summary of Calculation Methods for Category 4 (Upstream transportation and distribution) (continued)
Average-data method sum across storage facilities: • Companies should collect Companies should collect data which
∑ (volume of stored goods (m3 or pallet or TEU) × average number of days stored (days) data based upon the allows the calculation of emissions per
× emission factor for storage facility (kg CO2e/m3 or pallet or TEU/day)) throughput unit stored. This can be expressed in
• Volume of purchased goods several different ways, including;
that are stored (e.g., m2, • Emission factor per pallet stored in
m3, pallet, TEU) or number facility
of pallets needed to store • Emission factor per m2/m3 stored in
purchased goods facility
• Average number of days that • Emission factor per TEU (twenty-foot
goods are stored equivalent unit) stored in facility

Summary of Calculation Methods for Category 5 (Waste generated in operations)
Supplier-specific method sum across waste treatment providers: • Allocated scope 1 and 2 • If using the waste treatment com-
∑ allocated scope 1 and 2 emissions of waste treatment company emissions of waste-treatment pany method, the reporting com-
company (allocated to the pany collects emissions data from
waste collected from the waste treatment companies, so no
reporting company) emission factors are required (the
w company would have already
used emission factors to calculate
the emissions).
Waste-type- sum across waste types: • Waste produced (e.g., tonne, • Waste type-specific and waste
specific method ∑ (waste produced (tonnes or m3) m3) and type of different treatment-specific emission fac-
× waste type and waste treatment specific emission factor (kg CO2e/tonne or m3)) waste generated in operations tors. The emission factors should
• For each waste type, specific include end-of-life processes only.
waste treatment method • Emission factors may include emis-
applied (e.g., landfilled, incin- sions from transportation of waste.
erated, recycled, etc.)
Average-data method sum across waste treatment methods: • Total mass of waste generated • Average waste treatment specific
∑ (total mass of waste (tonnes) in operations emission factors based upon all
× proportion of total waste being treated by waste treatment method • Proportion of this waste being waste disposal types
× emission factor of waste treatment method (kg CO2e/tonne)) treated by different methods
(e.g., % landfilled, incinerated,
recycled, etc)

Summary of Calculation Methods for Category 6 (Business travel)
Fuel-based sum across fuel types: • Quantities of fuel (e.g., diesel, gasoline, jet • Life cycle fuel emission factors,
method ∑ (quantity of fuel consumed (liters) × emission factor for the fuel (e.g., kg CO2e/liter)) fuel, biofuels, etc.) consumed; expressed in units of emissions
+ • Amount spent on fuel and average cost of per unit of energy consumed
sum across grid regions: fuel (e.g., kg CO2e/liters, kg CO2e/
∑ (quantity of electricity consumed (kWh) × emission factor for electricity grid (e.g., kg CO2e/kWh)) • Fugitive emissions (e.g., refrigerant leak- Btu, etc.)
+ age); and • For electric vehicles (if applica-
sum across refrigerant and air-conditioning types: ble), electricity emission factors,
∑ (quantity of refrigerant leakage × global warming potential for the refrigerant (e.g., kg CO2e)) If applicable: expressed in units of emissions
• Distance travelled; per unit of electricity consumed
If fuel data is unavailable, companies may use the following two formulae to calculate quantities • Average fuel efficiency of the vehicle (e.g., kg CO2e/kWh)
of fuel consumed: • Fugitive emission factors, ex-
pressed in units of emissions per
Calculating fuel use from fuel spend unit of fugitive emission (e.g., kg
sum across fuel types: CO2e/kg refrigerant leakage)
∑ average fuel price (e.g., $/liter)
Calculating fuel use from distance travelled

+
(optional)
∑ (annual number of hotel nights (nights) × hotel emission factor (kg CO2e/night))
Distance-based sum across vehicle types: • Total distance travelled by each mode of • Emission factors that represent
method ∑ (distance travelled by vehicle type (vehicle-km or passenger-km) transport (air, train, bus, car, etc.) for all kilograms of CO2e emitted per
× vehicle specific emission factor (kg CO2e/vehicle-km or kg CO2e/passenger-km)) employees in the reporting year. kilometer or passenger-kilome-
+ • Countries of travel (since transportation ter for each mode of transport
(optional) emission factors vary by country) (e.g., aircraft, rail, metro, bus,
∑ (annual number of hotel nights (nights) × hotel emission factor (kg CO2e/night)) • Specific types of vehicles used for travel taxi, bus, etc.)
(since transportation emission factors vary • For electric vehicles (if applica-
by vehicle types) from transport providers ble), electricity emission factors,
expressed in units of emissions
per kilometer or passenger-
kilometer

Summary of Calculation Methods for Category 7 (Employee commuting)
Fuel-based method sum across fuel types: • Quantities of fuel (e.g., diesel, • Life cycle fuel emission factors,
∑ (quantity of fuel consumed (liters) × emission factor for the fuel (e.g., kg CO2e/liter)) gasoline, jet fuel, biofuels, etc.) expressed in units of emissions
+ consumed; per unit of energy consumed
sum across grid regions: • Amount spent on fuel and aver- (e.g., kg CO2e/liters, CO2e/Btu,
∑ (quantity of electricity consumed (kWh) × emission factor for electricity grid (e.g., kg CO2e/kWh)) age cost of fuel etc.)
+ • For electric vehicles (if applica-
sum across refrigerant and air-conditioning types: ble), electricity emission factors,
∑ (quantity of refrigerant leakage × global warming potential for the refrigerant (e.g., kg CO2e)) expressed in units of emissions
per unit of electricity consumed
If fuel data is unavailable, companies may use the following two formulae to calculate quantities (e.g., kg CO2e/kWh)
of fuel consumed:
Calculating fuel use from fuel spend

∑ average fuel price (e.g., $/liter)

Distance-based method first, sum across all employees to determine total distance travelled using each vehicle type: • Total distance travelled by Emission factors for each mode
employees over the reporting of transport (usually expressed in
total distance travelled by vehicle type (vehicle-km or passenger-km) period units of greenhouse gas (CO2, CH4,
= ∑ (daily one-way distance between home and work (km) × 2 × number of commuting days per year) • Mode of transport used for N2O, or CO2e) emitted per passen-
commuting (e.g., train, subway, ger-kilometer travelled)
then, sum across vehicle types to determine total emissions: bus, car, bicycle, etc.)
kg CO2e from employee commuting
= ∑ (total distance travelled by vehicle type (vehicle-km or passenger-km)
+
(optionally) for each energy source used in teleworking:
∑ (quantities of energy consumed (kWh) × emission factor for energy source (kg CO2e/kWh))
Average-data method sum across each transport mode: • Number of employees Emission factors for each mode of
∑ (total number of employees × % of employees using mode of transport • Average distance travelled by an transport
× one way commuting distance (vehicle-km or passenger-km) × 2 × working days per year average employees per day (usually expressed in units of
× emission factor of transport mode (kg CO2e/vehicle-km or kg CO2e/passenger-km)) • Average breakdown of transport greenhouse gas (CO2, CH4, N2O, or
modes used by employees CO2e) emitted per passenger-kilo-
• Average number working days meter travelled)
per year

Summary of Calculation Methods for Category 8 (Upstream Leased Assets)
Asset-specific calculate the scope 1 and scope 2 emissions associated with each leased asset: • Asset-specific fuel use; • Site or regionally specific emission
method electricity, steam, heating factors for energy sources (e.g.,
scope 1 emissions of leased asset and cooling use; process electricity and fuels) per unit of
= ∑ (quantity of fuel consumed (e.g., liter) × emission factor for fuel source (e.g., kg CO2e/liter)) emissions; and fugitive consumption (e.g., kg CO2e/kWh for
+ ∑ (quantity of refrigerant leakage (kg) × emission factor for refrigerant (kg CO2e/kg)) emissions (e.g., refrigerant electricity, kg CO2e/liter for diesel);
+ process emissions leakage), or; and
• Asset-specific scope 1 and • Emission factors of fugitive and
scope 2 emissions of leased asset scope 2 emissions data process emissions
For leased building spaces not sub-metered by the tenant, the following formula can be used to allocate emissions:
energy use from leased space (kWh)
=
building’s total qrea (m2) × building’s occupancy rate (e.g.,0.75)
× building’s total energy use (kWh)
Lessor-specific calculate the scope 1 and scope 2 emissions associated with each lessor: • Lessor’s fuel use, electricity • Site or regionally specific emission
method use process emissions and fu- factors for energy sources (e.g.,
scope 1 emissions of lessor gitive emissions (refrigerant electricity and fuels) per unit of
= ∑ (quantity of fuel consumed (e.g., liter) × emission factor for fuel source (e.g., kg CO2e/liter)) leakage), or; consumption (e.g., kg CO2e/kWh for
+ ∑ ((quantity of refrigerant leakage (kg) × emission factor for refrigerant (kg CO2e/kg)) • Lessor’s scope 1 and scope 2 electricity, kg CO2e/liter for diesel);
+ process emissions) emissions data and
• Physical or financial data • Emission factors of fugitive and
scope 2 emissions of lessor for allocation (e.g., total process emissions
= ∑ (quantity of electricity, steam, heating, cooling consumed (e.g., kWh) area/volume/quantity of
× emission factor for electricity, steam, heating, cooling (e.g., kg CO2e/kWh)) lessor’s assets and total area/
volume/quantity of leased
then allocate emissions from each lessor and then sum across lessors: assets
∑ scope 1 and scope 2 emissions of lessor (kg CO2e)
x area, volume, quantity, etc. of the leased asset
total area, volume, quantity, etc., of lessor assets
Average-data sum across building types: • Floor space of each leased • Average emission factors by floor
method ∑ (total floor space of building type (m2) × average emission factor for building type (kg CO2e/m2/year)) asset space, expressed in units of emis-
• Number of leased assets, by sions per square meter, square foot
Reporting company’s scope 3 emissions from leased assets other than buildings and for leased buildings where building type; and/or occupied (e.g., kg CO2e/m2/year);
floor space data is unavailable: • Number of leased assets • Average emission factors by
that give rise to Scope 2 building type, expressed in units
sum across asset types: emissions (e.g., company of emissions per building (e.g., kg
∑ (number of assets x average emissions per asset type (kg CO2e/asset type/year)) cars, trucks, etc). CO2e/small office block/year)
• Emission factors by asset type,
expressed in units of emissions per
asset (e.g., kg CO2e/car/year)

Summary of Calculation Methods for Category 9 (Downstream transportation and distribution)
Calculating Emissions from Transportation
Fuel-based method sum across fuel types: • Quantities of fuel (e.g., diesel, • Fuel emission factors, expressed in units
∑ (quantity of fuel consumed (liters) × emission factor for the fuel (e.g., kg CO2e/liter)) gasoline, jet fuel, biofuels, etc.) of emissions per unit of energy consumed
+ consumed; (e.g., kg CO2e/liters, CO2e/Btu, etc.)
sum across grid regions: • Amount spent on fuel and average • For electric vehicles (if applicable),
∑ (quantity of electricity consumed (kWh) × emission factor for electricity grid (e.g., kg CO2e/kWh)) cost of fuel electricity emission factors, expressed in
+ • Amount of refrigerant leakage; and units of emissions per unit of electricity
sum across refrigerant and air-conditioning types: consumed (e.g., kg CO2e/kWh)
∑ (quantity of refrigerant leakage × global warming potential for the refrigerant (e.g., kg CO2e)) If applicable: • Refrigerant leakage emission factors,
• Distance travelled; expressed in units of emissions per unit
If fuel data is unavailable, companies may use the following two formulae • Average fuel efficiency of the of refrigerant leaked (e.g., kg CO2e/kg
to calculate quantities of fuel consumed: vehicle, expressed in units of liters leakage)
of fuel consumed per tonne per
Calculating fuel use from fuel spend kilometer transported; Emission factors should include scope 1 and
• Mass of purchased goods in the scope 2 emissions of the fuel and optionally
sum across fuel types: vehicle (tonnes) include cradle-to-gate emissions.
total fuel spend (e.g., $) • Information on whether the
∑ average fuel price (e.g., $/liter) products are refrigerated during
transport


mass/volume of company’s goods
= total fuel consumed (litres) × mass/volume of goods transported
Companies may optionally substitute mass of goods by volume with dimensional mass or chargeable
mass where data is available to prove that the alternative method is more suitable. Dimensional mass
is a calculated mass that takes into account packaging volume as well as the actual mass of the goods.
(Optional) CO2e emissions from unladen backhaul =

for each fuel type:
∑ (quantity of fuel consumed from backhaul
× emission factor for the fuel (e.g., kg CO2e/liter))
where:
= average efficiency of vehicles unladed (l/km) × total distance travelled unladen

Summary of Calculation Methods for Category 9 (Downstream transportation and distribution) (continued)
Distance-based sum across transport modes and/or vehicle types: • Mass or volume of the products • Emission factor by mode of transport
method sold (e.g., rail, air, etc) or vehicle types (e.g.,
∑ (mass of goods purchased (tonnes or volume ) • Actual distances provided by trans- articulated lorry, container vessel, etc),
× distance travelled in transport leg (km) portation suppliers expressed in units of greenhouse gases
× emission factor of transport mode or vehicle type (kg CO2e/tonne or volume/km)) • Online maps or calculators; and/or (CO2, CH4, N2O) per unit of mass (tonne)
• Published port-to-port travel or volume (e.g., TEU) travelled (e.g., km)
distances
Spend-based sum across transport modes and/or vehicle types: • Amount spent on transportation • Cradle-to-gate emission factors of the
method by type (e.g. road, rail, air, barge), transportation type per unit of economic
∑ (amount spent on transportation by type ($) using market values (e.g., dollars). value (e.g., kg CO2e/$)
× relevant EEIO emission factors per unit of economic value (kg CO2e/$)) • Where applicable, inflation data to con-
vert market values between the year of
the EEIO emissions factors and the year
of the activity data.
Calculating Emissions from Distribution
Site-specific for each storage facility: • Site-specific fuel, electricity use; • Site or regionally specific emission factors
method and for energy sources (e.g., electricity and
emissions of storage facility (kg CO2e) • Site-specific refrigerant leakage fuels) per unit of consumption (e.g., kg
= (fuel consumed (kWh) × fuel emission factor (kg CO2e/kWh)) • The average occupancy rate of the CO2e/kWh for electricity, kg CO2e/liter for
+ (electricity consumed (kWh) × electricity emission factor (kg CO2e)/kWh) storage facility (i.e., average total diesel); and
+ (refrigerant leakage (kg) volume of goods stored) • Refrigerant emission factors of fugitive
× refrigerant emission factor (e.g., kg HFC⁄kg of refrigerant leakage)) and process emissions (kg HFC/kg of
refrigerant leakage)
then, allocate emissions based on volume that company’s products take within storage facility:
allocated emissions of storage facility =

total volume of goods in storage facility (m3)
Average-data sum across storage facilities: • Companies should collect data • Companies should collect data which al-
method ∑ (volume of stored goods (m3 or pallet or TEU) × average number of days stored (days) based upon the throughput lows the calculation of emissions per unit
× emission factor for storage facility (kg CO2e/m3 or pallet or TEU/day)) • Volume of purchased goods that stored. This can be expressed in several
are stored (e.g., m2, m3, pallet, TEU) different ways, including;
or number of pallets needed to • Emission factor per pallet stored in
store purchased goods facility
• Average number of days that • Emission factor per m2/m3 stored in
goods are stored facility
• Emission factor per TEU (twenty-foot
equivalent unit) stored in facility

Summary of Calculation Methods for Category 10 (Processing of Sold Products)
Site-specific sum across fuel consumed in the processing of sold intermediate products: Companies should first collect data on • If site-specific activity data is collected,
method ∑ (quantity of fuel consumed (e.g., liter) the types and quantities of intermediate companies should also collect:
× life cycle emission factor for fuel source (e.g., kg CO2e/liter)) goods sold by the reporting company. • Emission factors for fuels
+ Companies should then collect either • Emission factors for electricity
sum across electricity consumed in the processing of sold intermediate products: site-specific GHG emissions data provid- • To the extent possible, emission factors
∑ (quantity of electricity consumed (e.g., kWh) ed by downstream value chain partners, for waste outputs; and
× life cycle emission factor for electricity (e.g., kg CO2e/kWh)) or site-specific activity data from down- • If applicable, emission factors related to
+ stream processes, including: non-combustion emissions (i.e., industri-
sum across refrigerants used in the processing of sold intermediate products: • Quantities of energy (including al process or fugitive emissions)
∑ (quantity of refrigerant leakage (kg) × Global Warming Potential for refrigerant (kg CO2e/kg)) electricity and fuels) consumed in
+ process(es)
sum across process emissions released in the processing of sold intermediate products • To the extent possible, mass of waste
+ generated in process(es); and
to the extent possible, sum across waste generated in the in the processing • If applicable, activity data related to
of sold intermediate products: non-combustion emissions (i.e., indus-
∑ (mass of waste output (kg) × emission factor for waste activity (kg CO2e/kg)) trial process or fugitive emissions)
Average-data sum across intermediate products: For each type of sold intermediate prod- • Companies should collect either:
method ∑ (mass of sold intermediate product (kg) uct, companies should collect data on: • Average emission factors for down-
× emission factor of processing of sold products (kg CO2e/kg of final product)) • The process(es) involved in transform- stream processes to transform the sold
ing or processing sold intermediate intermediate product, expressed in
products into an usable state final units of emissions (e.g., CO2, CH4, N2O)
product, subsequent to sale by the per unit of product (e.g., kg CO2/kg of
reporting company; final product)
• Information needed for allocation Or:
(e.g., mass, economic value, etc.) • Life cycle emission factors of sold
products
• Life cycle emission factors of final
products

Summary of Calculation Methods for Category 11 (Use of sold products)
Direct Use-Phase Emissions
Products that directly consume sum across fuels consumed from use of products: • Total lifetime expected uses • Emission factors for fuels
energy (fuels or electricity) ∑ (total lifetime expected uses of product × number sold in reporting period of product(s); and • Emission factors for electricity
during use × fuel consumed per use (kWh) × emission factor for fuel (kg CO2e/kWh)) • Quantities of products sold • Emission factors for refrigerants
+ • Fuel used per use of product
sum across electricity consumed from use of products: • Electricity consumption per
∑ (total lifetime expected uses of product × number sold in reporting period use of product
× electricity consumed per use (kWh) × emission factor for electricity (kg CO2e/kWh)) • Refrigerant leakage per use
+ of product
sum across refrigerant leakage from use of products:
× refrigerant leakage per use (kg) × global warming potential (kg CO2e/kg))
Fuels and Feed-stocks sum across fuels/feedstocks: • Total quantities of fuels/feed- • Combustion emission factors of
∑ (total quantity of fuel/feedstock sold (e.g., kWh) stocks sold fuel/feedstock
× combustion emission factor for fuel/feedstock (e.g., kg CO2e/kWh))
Greenhouse gases and products • Total quantities of products • GWP of the GHGs contained
that contain or form green- sum across GHGs released in a product or product group: sold in the product, expressed in
house gases that are emitted ∑ (GHG contained per product × Total Number of products sold • Quantities of GHGs contained units of carbon dioxide per unit
during use × % of GHG released during lifetime use of product × GWP of the GHG) per product kilogram of the GHG (e.g., 25 kg
• % of GHGs released through- CO2/kg)
then: out the lifetime of the
sum across products or product groups: product
∑ (use phase emissions from product or product group 1,2,3…)
Note: if the % released is unknown 100% should be assumed.

Summary of Calculation Methods for Category 11 (Use of sold products) (continued)
Indirect Use-Phase Emissions
Products that indirectly The generation of a typical use phase may be difficult as the same product may consume more or less • Average number of uses over • Combustion emission factors of
consume energy (fuels or energy dependent on the conditions in which it is used. For example, a potato may be roasted, boiled lifetime of product fuels and electricity
electricity) during use and microwaved, each using different amount of energy and hence different emissions. Companies may • Average use scenarios • GWP of GHGs
choose to identify several different use-phase scenarios for a product and create a weighted average (e.g., weighted average of
based upon actual activity. scenarios)
• Fuel consumed in use sce-
sum across fuels consumed from use scenarios: narios
∑ (total lifetime expected uses of product × % of total lifetime uses using this scenario • Electricity consumed in use
× number sold in reporting period × fuel consumed per use in this scenario (e.g., kWh) scenarios
× emission factor for fuel (e.g., kg CO2e/kWh)) • Refrigerant leakage in use
+ scenarios
sum across electricity consumed from use scenarios: • GHGs emitted indirectly in use
∑ (total lifetime expected uses of product × % of total lifetime uses using this scenario scenarios
+
sum across refrigerant leakage from use scenarios:
× number sold in reporting period × refrigerant leakage per use in this scenario (kg)
× emission factor for refrigerant (kg CO2e/kg))
+
sum across GHG emitted indirectly from use scenarios:
× number sold in reporting period × GHG emitted indirectly (kg) × GWP of the GHG)
Intermediate products that sum across sold intermediate products total use phase emissions: • Type(s) of final product(s) • Depending on the type of
directly consume energy (fuels ∑ (total intermediate products sold × total lifetime uses of final sold product produced from reporting final product, emission factors
or electricity) during use × emissions per use of sold intermediate product (kg CO2e/use)) company’s intermediate required will be the same as
product(s) described earlier in this chapter.
• Percentage of reporting com-
pany’s intermediate product
sales going to each type of
final product
• Activity data required to cal-
culate the use-phase emission
of the final product will be the
same as described previously
in this chapter.

Summary of Calculation Methods for Category 12 (End-of-life treatment of sold products)
Waste-type- sum across waste treatment methods for sold products and packaging: • Total mass of sold products and packaging • Average waste treatment specif-
specific method ∑ (total mass of sold products and packaging from point of sale to end of life after consumer use (kg) from the point of sale by the reporting ic emission factors based upon
× % of total waste being1 treated by waste treatment method company to the end-of-life after consumer all waste disposal types
× emission factor of waste treatment method (kg CO2e/kg)) use (including packaging used to transport
products through to the point of retail and
any packaging that is disposed of prior to
the end-of-life of the final product.
• Proportion of this waste being treated
by different methods (e.g., % landfilled,
incinerated, recycled, etc.)
Summary of Calculation Methods for Category 13 (Downstream Leased Assets)
Asset-specific calculate the scope 1 and scope 2 emissions associated with each leased asset: • Asset-specific fuel use; electric- • Site or regionally specific emis-
method ity, steam, heating and cooling sion factors for energy sources
scope 1 emissions of leased asset use; process emissions; and fugi- (e.g., electricity and fuels) per
= ∑ (quantity of fuel consumed (e.g., liter) × emission factor for fuel source (e.g., kg CO2e/liter)) tive emissions (e.g., refrigerant unit of consumption (e.g., kg
+ ∑ ((quantity of refrigerant leakage (kg) × emission factor for refrigerant (kg CO2e/kg)) leakage), or; CO2e/kWh for electricity, kg
+ process emissions) • Asset-specific scope 1 and scope CO2e/liter for diesel); and
2 emissions data • Emission factors of fugitive and
scope 2 emissions of leased asset process emissions
For leased building spaces not sub-metered by the tenant, the following formula can be used to allocate emissions:
energy use from leased space (kWh)
=
building’s total area (m2)
× building’s occupancy rate (e.g., 0.75)) × building’s total energy use (kWh)

Summary of Calculation Methods for Category 13 (Downstream Leased Assets) (continued)
Lessee-specific calculate the scope 1 and scope 2 emissions associated with each lessee: • Lessee’s fuel use, electricity use • Site or regionally specific emis-
method process emissions and fugitive sion factors for energy sources
scope 1 emissions of lessee emissions (refrigerant leakage), (e.g., electricity and fuels) per
= ∑ (quantity of fuel consumed (e.g., liter) × emission factor for fuel source (e.g., kg CO2e/liter)) or; unit of consumption (e.g., kg
+ ∑ ((quantity of refrigerant leakage (kg) × emission factor for refrigerant (kg CO2e/kg)) • Lessee’s scope 1 and scope 2 CO2e/kWh for electricity, kg
+ process emissions) emissions data CO2e/liter for diesel); and
• Physical or financial data for • Emission factors of fugitive and
scope 2 emissions of lessee allocation (e.g., total area/vol- process emissions
= ∑ (quantity of electricity, steam, heating, cooling consumed (e.g., kWh) ume/quantity of lessee’s assets
× emission factor for electricity, steam, heating, cooling (e.g., kg CO2e/kWh)) and total area/volume/quantity
of leased assets
then allocate emissions from each lessee and then sum across lessees:
∑scope 1 and scope 2 emissions of lessee (kg CO2e)
× ((area, volume, quantity, etc., of the leased asset)
/ (total area, volume, quantity, etc. of lessee assets))
Average-data Reporting company’ s scope 3 emissions from leased assets (downstream): • Floor space of each leased asset • Average emission factors by
method • Number of leased assets, by floor space, expressed in units
sum across building types: building type; and/or of emissions per square meter,
∑ (total floor space of building type (m2) × average emission factor for building type (kg CO2e/m2/year)) • Number of leased assets that square foot occupied (e.g., kg
give rise to Scope 2 emissions CO2e/m2/year);
reporting company’s scope 3 emissions from leased assets other than buildings and for leased buildings where (e.g., company cars, trucks, etc). • Average emission factors by
floor space data is unavailable: building type, expressed in units
of emissions per building (e.g.,
sum across asset types: kg CO2e/small office block/year)
∑ (number of assets x average emissions per asset type (kg CO2e/asset type/year)) • Emission factors by asset type,
expressed in units of emissions
per asset (e.g., kg CO2e/car/year)

Summary of Calculation Methods for Category 14 (Franchises)
Franchise–specific sum across franchises: Companies should collect data on If collecting fuel and energy data, compa-
method ∑ (scope 1 emissions + scope 2 emissions of each franchise (kg CO2e)) either: nies should also collect:
• Scope 1 and scope 2 emissions • Site- or regionally-specific emission fac-
If franchise buildings are not submetered, the following equation can be used: data from franchisees; or tors for energy sources (e.g., electricity
• Site-specific fuel use, electricity and fuels) per unit of consumption
energy use from franchise (kWh) use, and other process and fugi- (e.g., kg CO2e/kWh for electricity, kg
= (franchise’s area (m2)) / (building’s total area (m2) tive emissions activity data CO2e/liter for diesel); and
× building’s occupancy rate) × building’s total energy use (kWh) • Emission factors of process emissions
(e.g., refrigeration and air conditioning)
Average-data For leased buildings (if floor space data is available), sum across building types: • Floor space of each franchise, by • Average emission factors by floor
method sum across building types: floor space space, expressed in units of emissions
∑ (total floor space of building type (m2) × average emission factor for building type (kg CO2e/m2/year)) • Number of franchises, by building per square meter, square foot occu-
type pied (e.g., kg CO2e/m2)
For other asset types or for leased buildings where floor space data is not available, sum across • Number of franchise assets that • Average emission factors by building
building/asset types: give rise to Scope 2 emissions type, expressed in units of emissions
(e.g., company cars, trucks, etc). per building (e.g., kg CO2e/small office
sum across building/asset types: block)
∑ (number of buildings or assets • Emission factors by asset type, ex-
× average emissions per building or asset type per year (kg CO2e/building or asset type/year)) pressed in units of emissions per asset
(e.g., kg CO2e/car)

Summary of Calculation Methods for Category 15 (Investments)
Calculating emissions from equity investments
Investment- sum across equity investments: • Scope 1 and 2 emissions of investee company • If using the investment-specific
specific method ∑ (scope 1 and scope 2 emissions of equity investment • The investor’s proportional share of equity in the investee method, the reporting company col-
× share of equity (%)) • If significant, companies should also collect scope 3 emissions of lects emissions data from investees,
investee company (if investee companies are unable to provide scope so no emission factors are required
3 emissions data, scope 3 emissions may need to be estimated using
the Average-data method)
Average-data sum across equity investments: • Sector(s) the investee company operates in; • EEIO emission factors for the
method ∑ ((investee company total revenue ($) • Revenue of investee company (if the investee company operates in sectors of the economy that the in-
× emission factor for investee’s sector (kg CO2e/$ revenue)) more than one sector, the reporting company should collect data on vestments are related to (kg CO2e/$
× share of equity (%)) the revenue for each sector in which the investee company operates); revenue)
and
• The investor’s proportional share of equity in the investee
Calculating emissions from project finance and from debt investments with known use of proceeds
Project-specific sum across projects: • Scope 1 and 2 emissions that occur in the reporting year for the • If using the project-specific method,
method ∑ (scope 1 and scope 2 emissions of relevant project in the reporting year relevant projects the reporting company collects
× share of total project costs (%)) • The investor’s proportional share of total project costs (total equity emissions data from investees, so no
plus debt) emission factors are required
Average-data sum across projects in the construction phase: • Project costs in the reporting year (if the project is in the construction • EEIO emission factors for the rele-
method ∑ ((project construction cost in the reporting year ($) phase); or vant construction sector that the in-
x emission factor of relevant construction sector (kg CO2e/$ revenue)) x • Revenue of the project (if the project is in the operational phase); and vestments are related to (kg CO2e/$)
share of total project costs (%)) • The investor’s proportional share of total project costs (total equity (if the project is in the construction
plus debt). phase); or
sum across projects in the operational phase: • EEIO emission factors for the
∑ ((project revenue in the reporting year ($) relevant operating sector that
x emission factor of relevant operating sector (kg CO2e/$ revenue)) x share the investments are related to
of total project costs (%)) (kg CO2e/$) (if the project is in the
operational phase)
Calculating total projected lifetime emissions from project finance and debt investments with known use of proceeds
Project-specific ∑ ((projected annual emissions of project Calculating projected lifetime emissions typically requires making assumptions about the operation of the asset
method x projected lifetime of project) and its expected lifetime. The data needed to calculate expected emissions will depend on the type of project.
x share of total project costs (%)) Companies should collect:
• Expected average annual emissions of project. For power plants for example, emissions can be derived from the
plant’s capacity and heat rate, the carbon content of the fuel, and projected capacity utilization.
• Expected lifetime of project

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GHG Protocol and Carbon Trust Team

World Resources Institute Contributors

The GHG Protocol is grateful to the following people and organizations

Gorm Kjærbøll, AB Electrolux

Technical Guidance for Calculating Scope 3 Emissions [03]

3: Fuel- and Energy-Related Activities Not Included in Scope 1 or Scope 2 38

4: Upstream Transportation and Distribution 49

5: Waste Generated in Operations 72

8: Upstream Leased Assets 94

9: Downstream Transportation and Distribution 102

10: Processing of Sold Products 106

11: Use of Sold Products 113

12: End-of-Life Treatment of Sold Products 125

13: Downstream Leased Assets 128

14: Franchises 130

15: Investments 136

C: Calculating emissions intensity metrics 160

D: Calculation formula summary tables 162

Technical Guidance for Calculating Scope 3 Emissions [04]

Technical Guidance for Calculating Scope 3 Emissions [05]

Descriptions of scope 3 categories

CO2 CH4 N2O HF

Figure [I] Overview of GHG Protocol scopes

CO2 CH4 N2O HFCs PFCs SF6

employee leased assets investments leased assets franchises

Technical Guidance for Calculating Scope 3 Emissions [06]

Table [I] Description and boundaries of scope 3 categories

Upstream scope 3 emissions

a. Upstream emissions of purchased a. For upstream emissions of

Technical Guidance for Calculating Scope 3 Emissions [07]

Table [I] Description and boundaries of scope 3 categories (continued)

Upstream scope 3 emissions

Category Category description Minimum boundary

Technical Guidance for Calculating Scope 3 Emissions [08]

Table [I] Description and boundaries of scope 3 categories (continued)

Downstream scope 3 emissions

Category Category description Minimum boundary

Technical Guidance for Calculating Scope 3 Emissions [09]

Table [I] Description and boundaries of scope 3 categories (continued)

Downstream scope 3 emissions

Category Category description Minimum boundary

Source: Table 5.4 from the Scope 3 Standard

How to use this document

•• Category description (from chapter 5 of the Scope 3 Standard)

Technical Guidance for Calculating Scope 3 Emissions [10]

Selecting calculation methods

•• The relative size of the emissions from the scope 3 activity

Screening to prioritize data collection

Technical Guidance for Calculating Scope 3 Emissions [11]

Table [II] Criteria for identifying relevant scope 3 activities

Criteria Description of activities

Sector guidance They have been identified as significant by sector-specific guidance

Source: Adapted from table 6.1 from the Scope 3 Standard

Technical Guidance for Calculating Scope 3 Emissions [12]

Using a combination of calculation methods

•• Applying more accurate data/calculations for large contributors

Example: Using a combination of calculation methods

Overview of data types

Technical Guidance for Calculating Scope 3 Emissions [13]

Material/product emission factors in scope 3 accounting

Energy emission factors in scope 3 accounting

Applicable greenhouse gases and global warming potential values

Technical Guidance for Calculating Scope 3 Emissions [14]